“PLAYING THE WAG”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29389, 16 December 1960, Page 19

“PLAYING THE WAG”

Minister Attends School Break-Up

The Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) admitted to children at the Fendalton School’s break-up ceremony yesterday afternoon that he was “playing the wag” from his Wellington office. Before several hundred parents and pupils sitting under a warm sun ih' the school grounds, Mr Lake said: “I’m here today without the Prime Minister’s say so. However, I’ve taken the risk as I felt it was my duty to be here on this important occasion." Before Mr Lake’s speech, the chairman of the school committee (Mr J. F. McDougall), in congratulating Mr Lake on his appointment to Cabinet rank, said that it was the first time for-about 25 years that the Fendalton school had had the honour of being addressed by its member of Parliament at a break-up ceremony. “One of the prime t functions of a Minister of Finance is that he must be able to provide money for the Minister of Education to enable him to carry out all the work involved in his department,” said Mr Lake.

“The first thing I ask of you is that you remember to watch your standards of behaviour. Second, you’ve heard the word discipline. Remember that we are all subject to some form of it. and those who refuse to do so will never make much of a sue-1 cess of life. “I would suggest that you be keen about having ambition,” said Mr. Lake. “There’s no fault in being ambitious. The main prerequisite is to work hard, otherwise you won’t go very far.” Mr Lake told his young listeners that their school was one of the best-known primary schools in the Dominion. “In its 85 years, many famous p :rsons have been taught here—so remember you young people to keep up the good standards.”