SIR JAMES CARROLL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 23 August 1911, Page 8

SIR JAMES CARROLL

A TRIBUTE FROM MAORI AND | ,] I'AKEHA. To celebrate the fifty-fourth birthday ' and .the Knighthood of Sir James Car- '■ roll, a. highly successful social gathering was held in Wellington on Monday r night.,, and an address was presented. Among the speakers was Dr. Cahill, 11 who said that no honor ever given to a citizen: of thse Dominion had met with " such popular approval as this one. (Applause.) It was received with aeclama- , tion right from the Nori'i Cape to the Blufl'. Nor were the reasons far to seek, when they glanced lAortly at his career. First they found Mm as a boy of fourteen bearing arms in the field, long before most boys thought of leaving school, s and carrying himself so well that now r he wore tlte medal of a warrior. Then i came his work as Parliamentary inter- j preter,. followed by Ms service as a mem- | ber, throughout wMch he continued the j faitlifuli friend', the wise adviser of his i people. (Applause..)) Thus he won the | gratitude-of every loyal citizen of the | country. Finally, rising higher still, he < had on: two Occasions held the distin- ] • guished position of acting-Prime Minister—(applause)—and filled it with dig- , raty,. cauirtesy and business capacity ] that liad; met with universal approval. , (Applause.) When they considered that i in his early years he was deprived of the benefit of higher education it was borne in upon them tltat they were dealing with a remarkable man, one of the most remarkable men in the Empire. - (Applause.) He was endowed with quali- , ties that had earned for him a place in the first rank. "Go, Sir James Carroll," said the doctor in conclusion, '■ fulfil that noble destiny for which nature has so. magnificently endowed you!" (Ap-J plause.) WHAT lIE HAS NOT DONE. Mr. H. S. Wardelt, who followed, said: /'I say nothing- of what he has done; I leave that to others; but I speak of what he has not done, and of what I consider are his greatest claims for our ■ ; respect.. He has never hit an opponent' 1 below the belt. He lias never descended " | to stingy an opponent in his honor and | his credit. On this ground alone I am content to put hia claims before those of many who have been applauded in this woritJ." ' MAORI APPRECIATION. The Hon. A. T. Ngata stated that he spoke on behalf of some of the friends , of the guest who were related to him on his mother's side. Some of the members of his own tribe had come from the King | Country and Hawke's Bay to bo present. "We are here," added Mr. Ngata, "to I partake of some of the congratulations . you are showering on Sir James Carroll. Later on our own people will ( take the opportunity to congratulate I him on being the recipient, in a repre- | sentative position, of the honor which Vhas been done him by the King. We are ; not in any way concerned in the debate ' and dissension about the propriety of 1 conferring titles in a democratic community. (Applause.) Our view is very simple, and it is this: 'The King has seen fit to do honor to our man." He ! would have failed in his duty to his mother's people if he had not recognised 1 that gift and accepted it.'" The Maori 1 people were proud to be associated with the pakehas in a gathering to do honor ! to Sir James Carroll. THE GUEST'S ACKNOWLEDG- ! MENT. Sir James Carroll said it was a matter ( oi pleasure to find his own kith and kin s there that evening, representatives of [ illustrious lines. He knew their forbears, he remembered when he was young, that t he knew their grandfathers. They were a fine i*t—the old rangitaras with fine t flowing ibeards, grave -faces, and a dignity I and bearing and grace which were the 1 envy of all. These were the descendant# | of the third and fourth generations, and it was meet and becoming that they should always associate the past with I living. They paid him the compliment of being the living representative I of the past, standing on the threshold . a beacon to them. He had lived some time in the world of politics, arriving in , the arena at an early age, and he haa J j graduated along the way until he found himself blushing under honors. (Laughter _ and applause.) He had represented the Maori race for two Parliaments. Since then he had represented the European; , P eo ple, who had faith to return hini timet , after time against strenuous opposition, i 1 . Ife would not say it required merit or I any particular distinction or evidence of [ ability to fill the chapter as he had done. Perhaps it was a combination of certain | qualities which appealed to the general genie of the community, for their confidence had existed so long that it had , passed ibeyond a whim. He had tried to ; live a life of usefulness in various capacities, and had endeavored to culti- ; vate friendly relations with those of both races with whom he came into cont tact. He had tried' to harmonise and .bring into good relations the interests of both sides with a view of unifying their best qualities for the promotion ol the true interests of themselves and the country. (Applause.) He had tried to look into all the doctrines of the high and eminent tohungas among the pakehas—(laughter)—with a view to understanding the principles underlying all movements making for the good of humanity. Drawing his deductions from what he heard and read lie evolved from hia inner consciousness what he thought were the , best lines upon which to act for the good of the Maori, the good of the pakeha, and the good of the Dminion; realising all the time that it was one of the component parts of a great and illustrious Empire. (Applause.) PERSONALITIES AVOIDED. Always he had studiously avoided importing into any political differences he had with others" anything in the way of bitterness or personalities. (Applause.) He did not think it a great tribute to the intelligence of the people engaged in politics that they should give any part of their time or intelligence to the cultivation of personal reflections or recrimination. It was not right to themselves or to the people. He thought they could get along much better and more smothly if they came closer together and endeavored to help and assist each other. A fair exchange of opinion would always lead to good results, and he was certain that if politicians were wise and remembered this their efforts would be much more successful and more appreciated. (Applause.) He had enjoyed political life

for many years, and had been associated with some of the greatest men in the country. These were Sir Harry Atkinson, John Ballunce, Richard John Seddon, all great commanding figures, and then he came to his present chief, Sir Ward. Perhaps it was as yet too early to say anything about him, because lie was still alive. (Laughter.) The work, of his predecessors had lieen recognised 'by all sides in politics, and in due time his also would be recognised in the stum; nay. (Applause,),

A. LIFE OF USEFULNESS. "I have tried, in my own humble way, to live a life of usefulness," said Sir James, "If I can be of any use to my fellow-creatures it is a work of love to be engaged that way. If I can help the poor and the needy, and I have it with me—(laughter)—nothing will give me greater satisfaction. If I can help the superior class, or any ,part of the community, it is to me a pleasant task, and you can always count" 011 me."' (Applause.) Sir James added that many hard things were sometimes said about public men, but his experience was that with very few exceptions they were stimulated f>y ft strong sense of duty and desire to serve the people. He" thanked tho speakers for their kindly references to himself, not forgetting his Maori friends. He trusted that he would never lose the esteem and regard which' had' been expressed towards him, but that he would deserve it even more fully as time went on.—Abridged from New Zealand Times.