Ben Tillett and the Mayer of Melbourne,

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2127, 9 July 1898, Page 3

Ben Tillett and the Mayer of Melbourne,

' " " CASTIGATION. The Mayor of Melbourne has received a smart ‘ dressing down ’ from Mr BenTillet. . Hia Worship, in declining to preside at one of Mr Tillet’s lectures, paid he had no sympathy with the lecturer’s views, and added that Mr Tiliett’s utterances and actions in Australia made it impossible for him to accede to the rt quest, A night or two later Mr Tillett Sid a meeting' , and -charged the Mayor with having acted * beloxv the dignity of his office and below his relationship to me as a fellow Britisher and a fellow municipal reformer.’ * You see,’ Mr Tillett went on to say; ‘ I don’t happen to be a young lady in a Gaiety company, or a cricketer, and I. do not happen to belong to his tribe, bu; I have served six years as an alderman m the greatest of our cities.' 1 (Cheers). I have had that dignity conferred upon me when and dukes of the Old Country at the bottom of the list. (Loud cheers,) I consider myself in brains more j than the equal of your ■Mayor*^(ehe#c&]r—in S& mners much hit ftupftrior-i-*- (sheers)—-and from the standpoint of position in the eyes of ••"th® #orldf ®. greater'man. (Loud “rfehews,) Thftrefore, I ean forgive a smaller ssa*-—(chsers)—.mixed up in his paro«hial Bumbledom. ’ (Cheers and laughter*)