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Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 May 1925, Page 5

Farther. I should like to pay a tribute to his untiring energy and attention during the days of stress and strain, when the finances of the country had to be watched close'y. Every morning at 9 o’clock he was in conference with the heads of the Treasury Department. his finger on the financial nilse, knowing from day to day the position ol the finances of this Dominion. Tn the Imperial Conference, 1 our late Prime Minister was highly esteemed, particularly in regard to his appeal for loyalty and good faith to our A lies. We remember his reply to General Smuts, “who urged that Britain should wash her hands of Europe and avoid anv partisan attitude”- —that out eoutalion for fair and honest dealing was onfe of our best assets, and must he maintained at all costs. These remarks are tvpica 1 of the man. He was r. great Imperialist, intenselv loyal just, honest, and always a true frond. “A GREAT LEADER.” (By 0.H.) A great leader of the people has pased away Words fail its, on an occasion such as this, to express oui thoughts. Men come and men go, hid here we have an outstanding figure, one who lias filled the public eye for a long period. Looking back over the events of the last few years it must be admitted by.all, even by those who were opposed to him, that the late Mr. Massey played a great and, a worthypart in shaping the destinies of this Empire of ours. A great Imperialist hd was, and one who had an absolute belief in the British nation and in its destiny. Patriotism burned like a flame in him, and he ever urged by example and prbcept the necessity for upholding the Em-, pire. The war brought out his great qualities. He realised as few did the. stupendous issues that were at stake, and he made sure that, in so far as it was possible, this Dominion • would do its utmost duty. We in New Zealand are proud of the part we played' in the Great War, and of the,high standard of the political and private life to which we have attained; but we must never forget that the great leader who has departed was largely instrumental ,in setting that standard, The late Prime Minister was a strenuous worker, keen and shrewd; but possibly ■ his greatest quality was his inherent uprightness. He hated things that are small and mean, and there was ever only one straight path for him. Titles and wealth had no attraction for him, and in all his' long public career he never made use of the stage effects which many politician.' use.

I A Parliamentarian with a long experience behind him, and gifted with a wonderful memory, the late Prime Minister had Jew, if any, equals as r

Header of the House. lie had tin. quick wit and the readiness of resourc of the Irish race from which lit sprang l mid his siiveJtv and tael caused him to lie respected by all side.' iof the House. Genial and kindly it a degree, he was one of the easiest «>• men to approach —high or low. ricJ lor poor—were all the . same t< him. ..J

| The events of the last few year; called him to London.on several occasions, and the same qualities that stood to him in his own land made

him a.notable figure even among those with a much larger sphere of influence.. He became the confidant of, and his services Avere sought -by, many of the leading politicians of the Empire. Loyal to his friends, to the heart’s core, and having the quality of inspiring the trust and affection of those with Avhom he came, in contact, gathered round him, as the years went by, a. host of personal friends, and a following that held to him through all the changes, and difficulties, and trials of the last few strenuous years. Never mindful of himself, inevitably the strain of constant Avorlc and responsibility told on his health, though up to the last feAV months, he appeared to be as vigorous as ever. A great, a strenuous, and most useful life has ended. The great Ruler of the Universe has sounded the recall and bade a Avorker cease from striving. The \ people mourn; but he is at rest, his day’s work done. To Mrs. Massey and his family of sons and daughters, the country can , only offer its sincerest sympathy. There reijiains to them only the solace of knoAving that he Avho has gone had established himself in the hearts of the people as an upright and trusted leader. A FRIEND TO ALL: (By “Fourth Estate.”) 'Apart- from his co .leagues in' .he Ministry and departmental chiefs, lew men are thrown into more regular contact with a Prime Minister than political journalists. Especially is ibis so in session time when, at any hour of tho forenoon, and in the tea and supper adjournments of the House, scouts from the Press Gallery are waiting tofasten upon members of Cabinet at every turn. With ten or a dozen separate interests represented in the Gallery, a certain amount of duplication in the inquiries put to Ministers is inevitable, and the man. would-be hardly human who, toivards the close ol a long and wearing session, did hot sometimes show signs of impatience with the insistent pressmen.

Time and time again, through the worrying years of the war, and the equally strenuous sessions since, Mr Massey must' have felt some such, annoyance. It was a tribute to the largeness ol his heart and to the Jeep-'noted sympathy of his nature that he had always a cheering word, and more often than not a. smile, for the ‘‘vultures,” as he batiteringly dubbed.the reporters. Some Ministers —there ivas one in particular —rebelled against, the trespass ou their time of a constant stream of newspaper men during the morning, and insisted on a common interview, which meant that, if any one man in the Gallery were fo',lowing up some special line of inquiry, he had either to give his secret to all his fellows, or miss the chance of securing information from the 1 oimtain-head. This was something ivhich the late Prime Minister never asked,. although' he must ahvays have been far busier than any of his colleagues. The youngest and most inexperienced reporter in the Gallery could ahvays get right through “The Chief” if lie ivished; and he was invariably treated with the utmost consideration. If Mr Massey was not ready to speak .on some question he would often explain in ‘onfidence exactly Ai liat the position Avas, and would promise that the inquirer ’would be the first to hear when he Avas -ready to make a statement to the Press—-a. promise that Avas binding. • ,