FREEDOM OF CITY

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19586, 27 May 1935, Page 9

FREEDOM OF CITY

MR LYONS OBJECTED TO.

BECAUSE HE IS A OATHOLIO.

PROTESTANT’S MOTION DEFEATED

United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright.

(Received 'May 27, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, May 26

A lively discussion at Edinburgh Council followed a motion to grant Mr J. A. Lyons, Federal 'Prime Minister, the 'Freedom of the City. 'Councillor 'Gormack, representing the Protestants, moved the deletion of Mr Lyons’ name because he is a Catholic. He warned the council that If It granted the honour to Mr Lyons ■lt would lead to a great Protestant demonstration.

postal employees 70 per cent., customs call out 30,000 more than the number that assembled on April 28 to oppose the reception to the Catholic Young Men’s Society, In order to prevent Mr ■Lyons receiving the freedom.” ' - He added that Australian Catholic civil servants amounted to 80 per ceiit.. postal employees 70 per cent., cutoms 50 per cent., and Treasury 40 per cent., averaging'6o per cent., although the Catholics were only twenty per cent, of the population. Moreover, Mr Lyons was a friend of Mr J. 11. Scullin, who boasted to the Pope that he had eight Catholic members in the Cabinet.

Objection by Labour.

A Labour member retorted: “Edinburgh has no right to dictate to Australia regarding employees in the public services."

Another Labour member said that though Edinburgh was a Protestanl city it could not hold an inquisition before it conferred the freedom on an Empire’s son.

Only two voted in favour of Councillor Cormack’s amendment.

Mr Lyons will receive the freedom, with Lord Tweedsmuir (Mr John Buchan) und the Maharajah of Patiala, on June 10.

On April 28 two thousand people' demonstrated at the Edinburgh City Hall when the Protestant Action Society protested against a civic reception to the delegates to the Catholic Young Men’s Society Conference. The rival factions fought with bottles and hammers. Mounted police rode in, scattering the crowd.