SIR THOMAS SIDEY.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1892, 24 May 1933, Page 6

SIR THOMAS SIDEY.

PASSING OF A GREAT STATESMAN Of the throe Dunedin S's—William Downie Stewart, Charles Ernest Statham and Thomas Kay Sidey—who in early manhood elected to forego their opportunities for further and sure advancement in the. legal profession so as to give the" best of their ability to the political ladder, Sir Thomas is the first to pass away. He died on Saturday afternoon at his Corstorphine residence after a somewhat tedious, wasting illness. His was a life rich in accomplishment. It had definite aims. He addressed his energy, his time and his money to the intellectual and social uplift of his fellows by trying to improve adopted and recognised methods, and thus rendered better servieo to the community than can lie contributed by a fiery leader who seeks to reform the world" by forcible regeneration and sets out to despise, or perhaps destroy, what is warranted by custom. His concentration upon fixed purposes—upon patient continuance in well-doing—-enabled him to do a great deal of good. His purencss of motive ensured the confidence and respect of the people. He was never suspected of feathering" his own nest. His courteous manner, his readiness to listen to the poor as to the rich, and his unfailing honouring of his word —these were factors in gaining and retaining for him such a degree of popularity as to make him secure of election even when pitted against heavily-armed candidates. Though not numbered with the political "greats" of this Dominion—for he had no such aspiration—Sir Thomas was one of the worthiest and most useful public men of this or any other period. When, as Mr Sidey, he was called to the Legislative Council as Leader our . congratulations included the remark that the word "politician" would soon lose every sinister implication if his standard of service could, become the common one. Nothing that he did in his later life adulterated that appraisement. Nor is there any cause to modify the words with which he was complimented upon being made a Knight Bachelor: "For more than thirty years his services to the public had been persistent, conscientious, unaggressive and ever courteous." Nature conferred upon Sir Thomas direct eligibility for public honours at Caversham. He was born at Corstorphine on May 27, 1863, the son of Mr John Sidey, who came to Otago by the ship Blundell in 1848, and it,was in Cavershani that lie lived, moved and had his political being. It was at Napier that he received his early education, then at Barrett's Collegiate School in Dunedin, and in due course at the Otago Boys' High School. As the outcome of a. four years' course at. the University of Otago, lie graduated in Arts and Law, taking the B.A. in 1887. He commenced his legal training in the office of Mr Saul Solomon (how EC.), and was admitted as barrister and solicitor in ISB9. After practising for a while on his own account ho took into partnership his chief clerk, Mr E. E. Col'ier, thus founding the firm of Sidey and Collier. The first time that Mr Sidey announced his candidature for the Caversham seat in Parliament was in 1896, when Mr Arthur Morrison topped the poll, Labour making its strength known. He stood aside at the 180!) election, and Mr Morrison was again returned; but when Mr Morrison died in 1901 a by-election was necessary, and the electors rallied to the Sidey banner in the cause of Liberalism, and he defeated Messrs W. 11. Warren, H. D. Bedford, W. Earnshaw, P. Halley aud J. J. Meikle. Thereafter until 192S when he retired, he withstood all attempts to wrest the seat from him. The title of the electorate changed fiom Caversham to Dunedin South, but the electors continued their faithfulness to him, making his return at one if not more of the elections a pure and uncommon vote of confidence in the man rather than in the party, since many electors who would have polled Labour for preference, other things being equal, felt conscience bound to support the tried man 'who never broke his word and was transparently working for the good of the country instead of for his own fame or benefit. In the House of Representatives, Sir Thomas, when Mr Sidey, fostered several important proposals for reform. He brought before the House the motion to pass indeterminate sentences in criminal eases —a modification of the penal laws, which, in restoring .many a, burglar to his friends and his relations, and doing the same for other offenders, has no doubt brought about repentance in some individuals and has ,so far proved its beneficence that no-

body asks for its' repeal.' The name.of Sidey is also inseparably connected with dental legislation; and lie was not satisfied with speeehmaking on that subject, for he backed up his talking with the practical support of money, giving two sums of £IOOO each to the Otago University Council to further its' works in dental surgery, one of these | donations being directed to be invested so that the revenues therefrom be used! to allow of indigent patients being admitted for treatment to the Dental Hospital and thus enable students to get enlarged opportunities for practice in the higher branches, of dental surgery. To the electors in distant parts of the Dominion the Member for Dunedin South was best known as the propounder of the Daylight Saving Bill. The reform aimed at was commonly dubbed "Sidoy time," perhaps in derision, buh the opposition to the cleavage is dying down, and, though gratitude for parlia-

mentary work is not usually .long lived, it may be, or should be, remembered for many years that if Sir Thomas had not stuck stubbornly to his guns, the Bill would not have developed into a statute. He hammered away for qjfeetee'n years without any lessening oiwiis advocacf, and the final passing of the' Bill, after an all-night sitting, was something like a record for a private . member. !' New Zealand as a whole accepted the calling of Mr Sidey to the Legislative Council as Leader and Attprney- [ General in 1928 as a due recognition of public service. He took the portfolio . of Justice in 1929, and w,as created a Knight Bachelor in January of 1930, and the same year went home as. one of the New Zealand representatives to ' the Imperial Conference. f> He married Miss Helena Baxter, i daughter of Mr David Baxter, and one .- son survives to console Lady Sidey. ■'■