IN LEWISHAM TODAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 10

IN LEWISHAM TODAY

OPERATION TOMORROW

EXCELLENT SPIRITS

The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) entered LeAvisham Hospital this morning to undergo an abdominal operation, AA'hich will be performed tomorrow. He Avas reported to be in excellent spirits when he left' his home in Northland, accompanied by two of his closest friends and colleagues, the Speaker of the Legislative Council (the Hon. Mark Fagan) and the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb). Mr. Savage had a friendly Avelcome at the hospital, five nurses practically forming a guard of honour and preceding him to his room. Everything possible has been done to ensure his comfort, and he has been given a room with a sun balcony, which makes his surroundings as pleasant as possible. The doctors attending Mr. Savage are Dr. J. Roberts Boyd as physician i and Mr. E. Gordon Anderson as surgeon. To accompany his chief to hospital, Mr. Webb disregarded medical advice to remain indoors, as he has been suffering from an attack of influenza which has affected his eyesight to some extent. Mr. Webb immediately returned to his home and went to bed after seeing Mr. Savage comfortably settled. NO NEW DEVELOPMENT. It is stated that there has been no neAv development or change in the Prime Minister's condition for at least twelve months, and the operation which he has been persuaded to under - 1 go by his personal friends is to remoye ! the cause of the trouble that persistently recurs. This course had been decided on before the last General Election, but Mr. Savage considered that he was capable of undertaking the Dominion-wide campaign that he carried out. Since the election his absences from duty have been more frequent, and he decided to undergo the operation, but delayed until after the presentation of the Budget. Few who listened to his reading of the Budget realised the strain that it must have imposed upon him. He had been away from Parliament Buildings for nearly a week before he appeared in the House on Tuesday night, to, as the acting Leader of the House (the Hon. P. Fraser) stated, "set aside his own personal convenience, comfort, and safety" to do duty for the absent Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash). While Mr. Savage was presenting the Budget a certain amount of strain was noticeable to close observers, but he did not falter during the one and a quarter hours of the task. He returned to his home immediately he had concluded the presentation of the Budget.

Fourteen days' leave of absence was granted Mr. Savage by the House this afternoon.