A LOST WAR MEDAL REPLACED

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1928, 10 December 1913, Page 6

A LOST WAR MEDAL REPLACED

i SIR JAS. CARROLL HONOURED. The members of both Houses of tho Legislature wero the guests of the I Hon. F. M. B. Fisher during tlio sirp- ; per adjournment last evening at a gathering in Bellamy's, to do honour : to Sir James Carroll. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said lie had asked the company to attend to do honour to one of tho most highlyrespected members of the General AsI sembly, Sir James Carroll. (Applause.) Quite incidentally ho had learned a short while ago that Sir James Carroll had been hiding his light under a bushel for many years, and that he was actually a New Zealand War Medallist, although very few pcoplo know it. He had discovered that Sir James had lost his medal many years ago, and ho had thought that, as Sir James Carroll was the- only war medallist in tho House of Representatives, it would bo fitting- to replace for him the medal be had lost, and to hand ever to him his military pension certificate. Ho recapitulated briefly (he story of tlio liau Hau rising, which Sir j'anies- Carroll had assisted to quell. Tho honourable gentleman had a record which must bo unique in British Parliamentary history. Ho had been' 19 years continuously a member of tlio Cabinet, and ho had also achieved tho distinction of representing both pakoha and Native races in the House. Ho asked the company to drink the health of Sir James Carroll. The toast was honoured enthusiastically, with cheers for the guest, Mr. fisher then handed over to Sir James Carroll a replica of the medal ho had lost 30 years ago, a miniature medal to wear with evening dress at official functions, a framed pension certificate, and also a looso copy of tho certificate with which, as air. Fisher said, he could draw £3 a month.

Sir James Carroll was applauded when ho rose to speak. "I am indeed proud," lio said, "In bo the recipient of the. favours of this evening, and also io have tlio acknowledgment by these tokens that I once served the country, perhaps better than I am serving It now." He went on to. draw a parallel between the time when he had won his medal, and the present, when taw and oiMer was challenged. He recounted a little of his Parliamentary record as member of the Administration for nearly twenty years, and a member of the House continuously since 1887, tlio same year that Sir Joseph Ward ami Mr, James Allen entered Parliament. In conclusion, ho said he was glad to receive after all the years by tlio favour of the Minister and the Government tokens of what he had earned many years ap;o. Those tokens would go down to' others afterwards. In tlio present they would serve as a revival and a record. Ho trusted that as long as he remained in politics he would ho deserving of tho kind consideration of the people of this country.