IN THE MAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 187, 9 August 1930, Page 7

IN THE MAKING.

A PRIME MINISTER.

MR. FORBES' PROGRESS.

EARLY MEMORIES.

(By S.S.)

"Please, sir, can you tell me which is . the way to the editor's room," a sturdy i lad of fourteen or fifteen, with his cloth • cap clutched in one hand and a large • green envelope clutched in the other, asked a beneficent-looking elderly gentleman taking his first few pulls at a refractory pipe in the'vestibule of the city newspaper office. The youngster had sought direction before —from the counter clerk—but he wanted to be sure, doubly sure. His precious envelope contained matter of the utmost importance. It covered the names of the players who on the morrow would uphold the honour of the fourth grade of their football club on the "tented field." During the week the lad, who lately had been promoted to the high office of secretary to his grade, first learned that such information was disseminated by the competing newspapers free of charge and he was not going to be out-advertised by his contemporaries. And his luck was in. The beneficent-looking elderly gentleman did .not belie his appearance. Having induced his pipe and tobacco to cooperate in ministering to his needs without any further "words," he turned to the lad with a reassuring smile. "And what do you want with the editor, soiinie?" h casked. "I am the man." For two seconds the youngster hesitated, having imagined an editor to be quite a different kind of person from the one that confronted him, and then, taking his courage in both hands, plunged into a recital of the achievements of the fourth grade and of its aspirations for the last game of the season. The editor, to his abiding credit, catching the spirit of the lad, jotted down a few words on the back of his treasured envelope and sent him off to the foreman printer with an assurance that the fourth grade would have its due in the morning's paper. And the dream came true. The members of the team had their names in the paper, they won their deciding match, they blessed the editor, they espoused the politics of his pen, and they went some way, at least, towards shaping the destiny of the country. The' Kick Off. All these filings happened forty odd years ago, its they were told to me by the actors in the little drama a decade later. The benelicient-looßing elderly gentleman, with the genial smile, laid down his burden shortly after the recital of his charming story in order that he might be free to explore still wider fields, and his gifted .successor in the editorial chair, abandoning in turn journalism for politics, politics for diplomacy, and diplomacy for banking left me for close upon a quarter of a century custodian of the high traditions of the paper to which they together had imparted a rich heritage. It was early in this period, in the first year of the 'nineties,' that I made the personal acquaintance of the enterprising bearer of the cap and envelope to the office a decade before. A day or two earlier, with impetuous youth at the helm, I had ventured to advise Mr. John Ballance and Mr. John MacKcnzie, then scarcely settled in office, how their land settlement schemes should be developed. The first fruit of my intrusion upon the domain of the Premier and his trusty Minister of Lands was a deputation of ardent young fellows, from twenty to sibty years of age, with a demand that they and their neighbours should be provided with farms forthwith. The most sane and least talkative of the group was a young man who somehow reminded me of the lad my predecessor of mature years had commended to me as likely to make his way in the world. Subsequently I had an opportunity to speak to my visitor alone and sure enough he proved to be the hero of my predecessor's story. Meanwhile he had been to a primary school and a secondary school; had played football through all the grades; had represented Canterbury in provincial contests, the summit of an athlete's achievements in those days, had rowed, and boxed and climbed, had made his way in business, and never had lost his longing to get on the land and have a home of his own. It is scarcely necessary to invite guesses as to the identity of this devotee to wholesome sport and a smiling home. Half-Time. The Hon. George William Forbes, now carrying the highest political distinction in the Dominion, did not seek the assistance of any individual or of any body or individuals when he made up his mind in 1902 that the time had arrived when lie should enter the House of Representatives in the interests of the community at large. He propelled himself into the fray simply because he thought it his duty to do so in the interests of the State and his neighbours. There already were four aspirants in the field for the representation of Hurunui in Parliament when he announced his candidature —Mr. A. W. Rutherford, the Liberal Government nominee; Mr. H. F. Reece, the forlorn hope of the Opposition; Mr. R. Meredith, a former member of the House, who appeared to have lost count of the side to which ho. belonged, and Mr. A. T. Pulley, who for eight or nine years made a jest of being at the bottom of the poll—and the appearance of a fifth candidate was regarded generally as a somewhat sorry joke. But my young friend was not to be diverted from his purpose. He asked for an interview with Mr. Seddon, then in the tenth year of his long premiership, and it was readily granted with the sole stipulation that I, for my sins, should be present as a guest. The proceedings of such meetings are not, of course, for publication, whether a third person be present or not; but I am tempted to mention one little incident associated with this long ago interview which surely should not be allowed to pass into oblivion. Mr. Seddon was anxious to know how many votes Mr. Forbes was counting upon. He put the question brusquely. "I am sure of only one," Mr. Forbes replied quite placidly.' "Only one," the great man exclaimed, rising from his chair, "And whose is thatV" "My wife's," was the soft answer, and the Prime Minister sank back to his seat exclaiming "God bless her; God bless her." Mr. Forbes did not take a part in the general election of 1905, but he frightened Mr. Rutherford out of the Hurunui seat in 1908, and since then in seven consecutive elections ho has remained immov- * able, a progressive Liberal in a rural district -with solid majorities.

Mr. Forbes entered Parliament much better equipped, in many respects, than do most new members, his six years of study and observation between 1902 and 1908 having satisfied hini that knowledge represents power in politics as it does in every other walk of life. His progress at each successive election is more than merely remarkable, in view of the fact that his constituency is a purely rural one with large areas of untitled land and many conservative owners. In 1908, when he first entered the House of Representatives, he was confronted by three other candidates, who together polled 170 more votes than he did; but in the second ballot, applied -that year for the first time in this country, he was left with a majority of 597 over his companion in» the final appeal. In 1911 he was opposed by a single candidate, who had all the resources of wealth and broad acres at his back, but on this occasion he increased his majority to 939. In 1914 his majority reached 1480, but in 1919, the year following the Great War, with three candidates in the field, his majority waned to 294. In 1922, however, with only two candidates wooing the constituency, his margin rose to 1198. Then there was the . Liberal debacle of 1925, which left the oldest party in the House with the smallest representation, but Mr. Forbes still with a majority of 711. Finally, there was the Reform reversal in 1928, which restored the old Liberal party, now styled the United party, to possession of the Treasury Benches, and the present Prime Minister-elect to a majority of 1203, the second largest in his long political career. As for the future, only the development of events can tell. Mr. Forbes at 01 is not, as politicians go, an old man. He lacks neither experience nor initiative,. tact nor courage, prudence nor enterprise, and he has a proper respect for the views and opinions of other people as well as a firm faith in his own. He is frank in speech and discreet in silence. It has been aptly said in view of the state of parties in the House of Representatives at the present time that he will need the prayers as* well as the congratulations of his friends, and there can be no doubt they will be rendered with fervency and good will.