"NATIONAL FIGURE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1936, Page 5

"NATIONAL FIGURE"

SIR FHANCIS BELL.

AUCKLAND LEGAL TRIBUTE,

"GRAND OLD MAN OF BAR."

Members of the legal fraternity in Auckland and representatives of the Court, supreme and subordinate, combined this morning in paying a tribute at the Supreme Court to the legal record and services to the Dominion of the late Sir Francis Bell. Mr. Justice Fair and Air. Justice Callan and a former judge, Sir Walter Stringer, were on the Bench. Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., represented the Lower Court, and Air. L. K. Alunro, president of the Auckland District Law Society, and was attended by a large assembly of its members. " Grand Old Man of New Zealand Bar." Air. Alunro said that the society wished to express sympathy to the relatives of the late Sir Francis Bell in the irreparable loss which they had sustained. The name of Sir Francis Bell was inseparably connected with the history of the Dominion. The ready intellect and indefatigable industry of his father, who was a national figure before him, were characteristic of the son; those qualities and the soundness of his legal claims speedily made him one of the leaders of the New Zealand Bar. It would be long before there existed in the Dominion a similar storehouse of knowledge. After referring to his professional career and services to the country of which ho eventually became Prime Alinister, Air. Alunro said that in 6hort Sir Francis was a national figure. Any description of Sir Francis would be lacking if it did not refer ~to the gracious companionship of Lady Bell and the members of their family. All the high positions which he occupied, all the honours tvhich fell on him, never obscured the name he had. Members of the legal profession, in expressing their sympathy to his relatives, hoped'that it might be some relief of their grief to know the deep respect, he might say reverence, in which the name of Sir Francis Bell had always been held. He could truly bo described as the "grand old man of the New Zealand Bar." "Greatest of Them AH." Air. Justice Fair said that Air. Justice Callan and himself wished to join in the expression of the sense of loss which all had suffered in the lamented death of Sir Francis and join in the public record of appreciation of his great services to his country. "To his great ability he added thoroughness and unremitting industry, lie attained a wide experience which few, if any, lawyers in this country have ever equalled, for he added to his profound knowledge of the law the management of important business affairs," said his Honor. Sir Francis Bell's record showed how a great part of his life was spent in promoting the best interests of the legal profession and striving to see that it was governed and animated by that high standard of conduct which excluded all ' unfair methods. \

His Honor then referred to the various phases of Sir Francis' activities in liis legal profession during a period of CO years. No one could doubt that lie filled a place in the profession and in the country that no one else could fill. lie was a model of thoughtfulness and courtesy, and withal had a fund of humour and jollity that embraced all moil and forgave all shortcomings except dishonesty. His tributes to the lives and work of Sir Robert Stout, Sir John Salmond, Sir Joh.n Findlay, Sir John Hosting and Sir Charles Skerrett— all great men—would live long in the memory of those* who were privileged to hear liim express them.

"And now," his Honor nrldod. "we in turn liave the sad task of paving our tribute to the memory of him who was the greatest of them all. We mourn his loss. We will treasure his memory with deep respect, admiration and affection. To his relatives in their great sorrow wo too tender our deepest sympathy and offer this inadequate tribute to his memorv.'