LATE MR. SAVAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 96, 23 April 1940, Page 4

LATE MR. SAVAGE

MR. FRASER'S EULOGY

PROPOSAL FOR MEMORIAL

APPEAL FOR UNITY

"The greatest tribute we can pay to his memory is to work as he did for the ideals he served and for which he sacrificed himself," said the Prime Minister (the Hon. P.' Fraser)' last night in a eulogy of the life and work of the late Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. Mr. Savage's name, said Mr. Fraser, would live in the history of New Zealand and of humanity in general; he was mourned wherever social progress was valued and democracy treasured.

The Prime Minister spoke of the memorial it was proposed to erect and extended an invitation to all to participate.

Mr. Fraser said that the political philosophy which guided Mr. Savage's endeavours was the direct result of his own experience of living among his fellow-men as well as of deep study. "Everyone will agree. ■■ 'that the late Prime Minister was an idealist, but it is essential to remember that he was a practical idealist, with both feet planted firmly on the ground," said Mr. Fraser. "We have only to recall the facts of his youth and early manhood to realise to what extent his later practical philosophy was based on firsthand experience."

Mr. Fraser detailed Mr. Savage's career. He said that in the ups and downs of political fortune, Mr. Savage never lost heart, and never deviated from the principles he believed in and for which he had pledged himself {o fight. It was an essential part of his policy that whatever he did must be with the full understanding and the full co-operation of the people. He always sought to persuade and never to force and preferred to. wait "till the majority of the people were in full agreement with what he wanted to do.

"Mr. Savage based his whole political philosophy not merely on social theories, but on the facts as he knew and understood them," said Mr. Fraser. He would never agree that the end in any way justifies the means, and would never tolerate any course of action, however advantageous it might seem, that was not fair and honourable. The social benefits which have been extended to thousands of the men, women, and children of the Dominion are practical testimony enough to the worth of Mr. Savage's inspired idealism. Mr. Savage was great in character, great in honesty, .great in outlook, great in achievement, great in sympathy, great in loyalty, great in defeat, great in victory, and greatest of all in selflessness. He was a man who did great things for the people. "He is mourned by the whole nation and throughout the whole British Commonwealth of Nations. NATIONAL MEMORIAL. Mr. Fraser said the party with which Mr. Savage was so long and honourably associated, and which he led so successfully, had issued an invitation to the people" of New Zealand to unite in erecting a national memorial to his life and work at his last resting-place on Bastion Point, Auckland. But it was in no sense of the word a party effort. The invitation to participate was extended to everyone in the Dominion. Large contributions were not asked for. It was felt that the memorial should be in every sense a people's •memorial —symbolising the esteem and regard of all the people of New Zealand, Maori and pakeha, a contribution of sincere gratitude and love straight from the hearts of the people. The Memorial Committee, added the Prime Minister, was very anxious that contributions should not in any way prejudicially affect the patriotic funds. They felt,,that this would have been the wish 'of Mr. Savage. They also wished everyone to feel that it was not the amounts of the individual contributions that would matter so much as the fact that everyone would have a chance to contribute. It was intended that the Dominion-wide scope of the appeal, not insistence upon large contributions, should be its central note.

"In this country," . said Mr. Fraser, "we have built up a standard of living that is our pride and the envy of others. We enjoy privileges of freedom and democracy which can hardly be appreciated by those who have never been without them. It behoves us to count our blessings and to make every necessary sacrifice to preserve our happiness and our prosperity and to hand our rich heritage on to our children. "I want to appeal to everyone to give to the Government and myself the same measure of loyalty arid'support which you gave to Mr. Savage. "I earnestly appeal to every citizen to play his and her part at this time, whether it is at home or abroad on active duty," the Prime Minister concluded. "Our men overseas will acquit themselves as men and heroes in the way New Zealanders have done in the past. At home we must work hard, we must work efficiently, we must, as a nation, provide for future development by putting aside more, and finally I would appeal for unity of purpose and unity of effort, and thus show that we truly appreciate and will not forget the lesson of the life of the great man who has gone from us."