LAST TRIBUTE

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 14 May 1925, Page 7

LAST TRIBUTE

TO DEAD LEADER

PAID BY MANY THOUSANDS

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

(By Telegraph—Special, to Star.)

WELLINGTON, Mar 13. First the written tribute to the late Prime Minister demonstrated his hold on the affections of the people, and today the x>ublic has shown, in its thousands, a desire to pay its respectful token of sympathy and esteem by visiting Parliament Buildings to pass around the bier on which reposes the body of the dead statesman. At one period of the afternoon a long line of silent people, three deep, extended from the main steps of Parliament across the spacious drive, down a carriage way and along into Lambton Quay for"several hundred yards. Funeral arrangements for Thursday have been carefully planned by a committee of Cabinet Ministers, whose active executive has been Mr James Hislop, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, assisted by the police, military and city traffic force. The order of procession shows a strict regard for precedence, and indicates that the cortege must contain at least 600 cars. VETERANS’ GUARD OF HONOUR. The Returned Soldiers’ Association made representations to the authorities that it wished to pay its respects to one who had always shown his active sympathy and care for our soldiers, and in this they were joined by the South African veterans, and will -be given a post of honour by being placed, in line from Parliament Building steps, through the grounds and into Lambton Quay. Then the line will be continued by *Boy Scouts. When the hearse passes the veterans they will leave the line, fall in parallel with the cortege, and thus provide an escort through the city At Courtenay Place the veterans will, leave the procession, standing to attention while the long cortege passes on its way to Point Halsyell. THE FUNERAL SERVICE. The last journey .will commence at 1 p.m. It will be preceded by a funeral service, which, if the weather is fine, will be held on the steps of Parliament Buildings, and will be conducted by the Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, Rev. George Miller, who will be assisted by Rev. J. Gibson Smith. Space will be provided for many hundreds of the general public in the grounds of Parliament House. • Eight hands will be stationed at various points along the route, the First Battalion Band ’being at Point Halswell, and as the solemn cortege approaches the gunpit where the casket will be deposited it will play the late Prime Minister’s favourite hymn, “Nearer My God to Thee.” The two clergymen named will read the remaining portion of the burial service at the graveside, and a Wellington College cadet will sound “The Last Post.” The plateau on which the old. fort stands will accommodate several thousand people, but approach by car will be impossible, as there is no turning place and the grade is steep. It is intended that the hearse shall deviate from the procession in order to take a hill road which will bring it to a point overlooking the nlateau. The casket will then he placefl on a gun carriage and hauled by the military to near the site of the interment, where a naval detachment from the H.M.S. Dunedin will take over that sad duty.

MANY PAY LAST RESPECTS. TWO MORE APPRECIATIONS. (BY TELEGRAPH —FRESP ASSOCIATION. - - WELLINGTON, May 14. The weather at 9 a.m. was- showery hut warm. It was estimated that some twenty thousand persons visited Parliament House yesterday to pay their last respects to the late Prime Minister. Among the appreciations published are two by the- Speakers of both Houses. Sir Walter Carneross lays stress on Mr Massey’s fairness and the fact thar he was the only Prime Minister who ever called to the Council men who were opposed to him in politics. He did much to raise the prestige of the Legislative Council. Mr Statham, Lower House, speaks of the late Mr Massey’s capacity for. work, and unswerving loyalty to his King and country.

MASONIC SERVICE AT GRAVESIDE WELLINGTON, May 13. ' Mrs Massey and family Laving ex pressed their desire that there should be a Masonic service at the grave, arrangements have therefore been made to enable Masonic brthren to conduct a service. Brethren at tlieg rave will be confined to Grand Lodge officers, and the Rev. Bro. Shirer will officiate. HEAVY RAIN AT WELLINGTON. MAGNIFICENT FLORAL TRIBUTES. WELLINGTON, May 14.' Heavy rain set in at ten o’clock, and the prospect is that the weather will be bad for the final obsequies of the late Mr Massey. Throughout the morning messengers, carrying floral tributes, wended their way to Parliament House. There is an enormous number of wreaths, the floral testimony to the memory of the dead Prime Minister being magnificent. Messages of condolence are still being received. Despite the’ rain, many hundreds passed by the catafalque this morning to pay their last respects to the dead. All shops and business places a inclosed, and only the necessary work is being carried on. BRITISH IN TEMPER AMENT. EMBODIMENT OF CHERISHED TRADITIONS. BY CABLE—PRES.' ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT MELBOURNE, May 13. The Argus, referring to the death of Air Massey, says shortly after the end of the war it was naively explaiared that William Ferguson Massey, /who was in office when the war began.(and was etill Prime Minister when/ it ended, owed not a little of his success

as a farmer and a politician to the fact that he was three-parts a Scot and was a native of Ulster. In many respects he was similar to the previous outstanding character among New Zealand Prime Ministers* Richard John Seddon, but Air Massey had a love of literature which Mr Seddon lacked, and the gift of embellishing many speeches with apt quotations from the classics in prose, poetry, some novel or a newspaper article, or from the Bible. In a leader the Argus says that, peculiarly British in temperament and outlook, Mr Massey was the very embodiment of the cherished British tradition of public service. Those who knew best the courage, energy and thoroughness with which he applied himself to the weal of the Empire and the Dominion to which he was so loyal and so devoted an adopted son, will most deplore his loss. AVe need not despair of the maintenance of Imperial unity while the Empire produces men with so persistent a, sense of duty, with such a single-minded devotion to Imperial connection, and such steadiness of aim in preserving it as Mr Massey unfailingly exhibited throughout- his long, strenuous and honourable public career. ULSTER’S TRIBUTE. LONDON, May 12. Sir .Tames Craig (Premier of Northern Ireland), speaking in the Ulster Parliament, said Air Alassey’s whole soul centred in the people of New Zealand, hut nevertheless he had a warm place in his heart for his native country. They mourned a distinguished Ulsterman whom all loved.