LAST RITES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 14 July 1930, Page 7

LAST RITES

SIR JOSEPH BURIED IMPRESSIVE SERVICES COUNTRY PAYS HOMAGE FITTING RESTING PLACE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.). INVERCARGILL, July 13. Sir Jorseph Wand si o&ps witerc lie Mould have oliosen, beside his loved ones in the picturesque little cemetery 011 Bluff HiLl. He was -buried this afternoon with futl military honours in the presence of the greatest and the lowliest in the land. All Saturday his body lay in state before the altar of St. Mary Basilica., where many hundreds oannei bo do him 'homage. On Sunday mo-ia,iLng the Bishiqii of Dunedin, his ministers and the jiooplo offered prayers for the repose of liis soul in the majestic ceremonial of the Roman Catholic Church. In the afternoon he fared forth to liis last resting place on Bluff hill. As his body was lowered into the grave the- low-descend-ing sun caused every colour to come into the sea and sky until it seemed that the hillside must be bathed in the glory of him who lay buried there. The thousands of mourners in the streets of Invercargill and Bluff watching the rites testified to the affection and esteem in which, the dead leader was held. Though he has passed away his name will ever stand in the forefront of the immortals of New Zealand’s story.

Never has there been a. more impressive service in Invercargill than that in the basilica- this morning when, with all the significance of the Roman Catholic Church, sdlernn Pontifical Requiem High Mass was celebrated for Sir Joseph Ward. The Governor-Gen-eral was represenited by Sir Jobn Han--11 am. The Prime Minister and members of Cabinet, the leader of the Opposition an d tlie leader- of the Labour Party, members of Parliament and representatives of local bodies were oresent.

In the hush preceding the commencement of the service all eyes, turned: towards the casket which, lay before the altar and around which candies burned steadily. Many in the congregation were devotly Icneeling offering prayers for the soul of him who lay in his coffin lie tore. them. The Bishop of Dunedin (Right Rev. Dr. Whyte) was celebrant of the ma-ss and delivered a panegyric.

DESIRE TO PAY TRIBUTE. Long before midday residents from country districts commenced' to arrive in Invercargill, the main roads carrying a constant stream of people anxious to pay their last tribute to a great man who from humble beginnings in the most southerly province- or his adopted country, had risen to the greatest heights of statesmanship. the presence at the final service of such a huge crowd of people representing all interests and communities was testimony to high esteem and gratitude. Their attendance was public acknowledgment of the great benefits their departed chief had conferred upon the people by his political efforts, and an indication that by very many spread widely through the country lie was regarded as a close friend. I So it was that those who gathered to pay homage to the great statesman numbedecl many who reckoned his per-' sonal worth greater than his political achievements, and on the occasion of his funeral felt it their duty to- give a final tribute to liis memory. It was a reverent assemblage, a crowd which felt too deeply the national loss in the death ol' an" outstanding personality to be merely curious to witness the pomp and ceremony following his passing. If. was most fitting that ho should find his resting place surrounded by liis people, overlooking the port of Bluff, where lie first trod New Zealand soil and where he lived the greater part of his lift'. The district which fostered him in the earlier activities which led to higher things had claimed its most famous son.

Although two large trains wlicli left for the port before the procession through the city commenced had been packed and hundreds of cars had already left Invercargill, the entire route from the basilica to the station was crowded with a- dense throng of people which had commenced to form a considerable time before the cortege left the church. At the basilica and the railway station the numbers were greatest, and at each terminal there must have lieen several thousands gathered. The soft tolling of a bell ringing at short intervals at the convent beside tlie basilica heralded the departure of tlie cortege for the station. A parade of returned soldiers formed a. guard of honour from the portals of the church to the hearse.

CO LI j EAIGiUES AS P ALL-BEARER S

Heads were bared at tlie appearance at the door of the cliurcn of the casket. Tlie Prime Minister and lies colleagues, who acted as pall-bearers, walked beside the coffin, which was followed by Captain Sir John Hanliam, Part., who represented the GovernorGeneral. Then came Sir Cyril and Lady Ward, Mr. and Mrs. B. L. wood, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Ward, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone Ward, Mr. A war a a Pat Ward, Messrs Joseph G. Ward and Cyril J. Ward (sons of Sir Cyril Ward), Mr. C. A. Tipping, Miss Kathleen Tipping, Miss Eileen lipping, Mr. Walter Henderson, Miss Imlu Henderson, Sir Francis and Lady lJoys and Mr. lan Boys.

The procession leaving the basilica was led by the civic band end an escort of returned soldiers. I pom arrival at the railway station the cas-l ket was removed to the mortuary van and was conveyed to the little town of Bluff which had witnessed the triumphs which had been Sir Joseph Ward's. Along the route at each station wore crowds of mourners who hared their heads in tribute as the train passed. At the more distant spots isolated groups had assembled, but everywhere there was apparent profound sorrow. No pen picture could do justice to the return of the body to the soil of Bluff, whence the zeal, courage and vaulting faith of Sir Joseph Ward had so many years ago spurred him on to great endeavours. The main street and precincts of the station were thronged .as the train steamed quietly in. As the casket was brought forth to the station platform a woman’s voice raised in the opening cries of the tangi wail was heard and a compact body of Maoris, appropriately garlanded and with their heads bowed, came close- Two chieftainesses of the Ngahuirapa tribe broke into plaintive laments in which their companions joined in a resounding chant, the voices

rising and falling in wide cadences. The pathos and poetic force of the lament left an impression that- will prove indelible. Subsiding into silence again the Maoris formed in line and followed the ca.sliet to the cemetery. The; casket- was placed on a gun carriage and the last solemn journey was commenced. The entire route to tiie cemetery was lined with spectators and the majestic pillars of Bluff granite were points of vantage from which many -people watched the ceremony. At the gates of the cemetery the cortege was met by a clerical procession of acolytes, clergy, and the Bishop of Dunedin. The casket was removed from the gun carriage and carried to the- -graveside -by residents of Bluff who bad been personal friends of the statesman, the cortege; passing through a. guard of honour. At the grave the funeral rites were performed by the Bishop of Dunedin and the casket was lowered into the grave. A firing party fired three volleys and the plaintive notes of the “Last Post’’ rang out, followed by the “Reveille.’ A quartette of pipers played “Flowers of the' Forest.” The military escort then filed past the grave, depositing a huge number of floral tributes which had been received, and soon the flowers were piled high on the grave.

A CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN

NOBLE LIFE AND EXAMPLE

BJ SHOP WHYTE’S PANEGYRIC

INVERCARGILL* July 13

“We are assembled this morning around the mortal remains of a great statesman and an earnest Christian,” said Bishop Whyte at the funeral service to-day tor Sir Joseph Ward. “We are here to pray for the immortal part of him, liis- soul which has already appeared. before the Judgment Seat of its Creator. The mortal part will eventually put on immortality. In the words of St. Paul, “And the corruptible will put on incorruption.” “Prayers alone, especially the Holy Mass, will avail him now; praise will be of no benefit to him, but it may help and encourage others, to imitate his noble example. During the past few days one harmonious chorus of praise has sounded throughout the Dominion from Auckland to the town _he lifted out of obscurity in the morning of his public life. Maori and pakeha, pressmen and politicians, civil and military and church authorities, all have lamented the loss sustained by our young country through the death of its renowned citizen; all have lauded his ability, his integrity, his- courtesy. “At the council chambers of the Empire his opinions were listened to with attention and New Zealand acquired through him fame out of all proportion to the size and! population of the country. In progressive, nay, daring, legislation which also contributed to the fame of this country. Sir Joseph Ward took a conspicuous part. It is no wonder then that New Zealand is to-day bowed down with grief on losing a son who has written his name so large on our history of the past half century. ‘ ‘His life teaches many important lessons. If he belonged to an aristocracy 1 it was to the higher aristocracy of character and ability. As- happens in nearly all cases in history he became great by industry. He went on from height to height until he reached the height of Premiership, . To very few is given the ability by which he achieved success, hut perseverance and 1 industry are within reach of everybody. His example cannot fail to influence many young men of to-day. ORDER, AND DISCIPLINE.

“ ‘He. was a great Imperialist,’ say. many members of tlie world-wide -Honan 1011 sof the Empire. Lovers of oiscipime in every spliere of lit© are today shocked by the miwiiolesome spirit of independence that asserts itself in many civilised countries. r lhe> Church and State are attacked by this unthinking spirit, disorder raises, its head against every form of government and the twin demons of anarchy and lrreligion are here and there let loose. The example of the man who stood for order and discipline, who loved and served his country unselfishly, will protect us. Let us hope against the encroachment of ideas that would destroy tlie State and Church and, trampling upon the King’s crown and .Pope’s tiara, would vainly strive to make every subject his own ruler and to tear away from human nature its God-implanted longing for religion, “Sir Joseph Ward has been on all sides acclaimed as a gentleman. More than that, Sir Joseph was a Christian gentleman. And still more he was a fervent Catholic. It is because lie was a Catholic who believed in his religion and practised it that we are here today celebratng these solemn and venerable rites. More appropriate a church could not have been chosen than this basilica, in which ho so frequently worshipped. He took his place hei*e with the humblest parishioner and listened to the explanaton of the Christian doctrine with as much docility as would the youngest of his constituents. The, man'was truly great in whom fame and modesty were so beautifully blended. “Very many people nowadays sadily need tlie .silent rebuke that is administered to the irreligious by men who are at once Christian believers and men of renown. Sir Joseph’s Christian life offers such a reproof to those who are carried away by every wind of scientific doctrine.

PRAYERS FOR DEPARTED. “Of chief concern this morning, however, is not to praise him but to pray for him. Hence the church brings out of its rich treasury of prayers and petitions for tlie welfare of his soul. The church sprinkles his corpse with holy water asking that his soul be cleansed from sin and be made ready for that Kingdom into which nothing stained is admitted.

“The fragrance of floating incense is symbolic of prayer rising in its sweetness to the throne of God. As incense will, not send up its pleasant odour if it rests not on burning coal, neither will our prayers ascend unless they come from hearts glowing with God’s fove, and prayers, majestic music and stately ceremonies are plentifully employed as a, beautiful garment to adorn the* great act of sacrifice, the Holy Mass. Though the solemn Requiem Mass is stripped of every element of joyousness there is a vein of confidence in God’s mercy running through it. “While we mourn the loss of so worthy a man we can thank God for having given him to this young country as a model of patriotism and 1 uprightness. His reputaton as a gentleman who bore his honours meekly and who never failed in courtesy or generosity to the poor will be recalled even after his political triumphs have, been forgotten.

“By Catholics be will be remembered where remembrance is sweetest, at the altar rails, and within the sanctuary many aged people whom he assisted will raise- their withered hands to Heaven appealing for mercy on iiis soul. And orphans throughout the land will lisp their simple prayers for him. Our religious communities of men and of women praying in their little oratories when the world is still abed will put

’mm flu tlieir lists of benefactors. \\ e bis nops and priests of New Zealand, graterut to ium that- his edifying life and death will serve as a lamp to the ieet of our people, will bear him in mind when every morning at the altar we ask our Lord to be merciful to those who are gone before us with the sign of faith, and res.t in the sleep of peace.” Bishop Vliyte concluded by offering a prayer for the sorrowing friends.

GOVERNOR PAYS TRIBUTE

EXAMPLE TO YOUNG MEN

CHRISTCHURCH. July 13.

The life and achievements of Sir Joseph Ward were cited as an example to all young New Zealanders- by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe. when he was addressing the students of Lincoln College on Saturday. His Excellency remarked that he would not have been able to pay such an early visit to the college had it not been that a calamity had befallen the country in the death of one of its greatest men.’

“In the person of Sir Joseph Ward.” Lord Bledisloe said, “one of the outstanding public men of New Zealand has passed t-o liis rest. From humble beginning's he rose to -become New Zealand’s best-known statesman. His life is a .splendid example of what young New Zealanders can do and I hope that you, who are his juniors and who have more opportunity than he, will try to emulate him.

“What were the outstanding qualities of his character? I should say that lie was pre-eminently a, straight-forward, just, patriotic and persevering man. That last quality is important "because I imagine there are many otherwise successful citizens who fail to achieve what they aim for just because' of lack of perseverance. »

“There is no better example of the presence of this quality in the-veteran statesman than his final entry into politics at the head of the administration. Of him it could be said, as Wordsworth said of ‘The Happy Warrior: ’ ‘Who, not content with former worth, steadfast looks forward, persevering to the last, from well to better, daily self surpa-st. ’ “What are the secrets of such a man’s life?” inquired His Excellency. “One was his .high ideals- with no deviation into anything so-rbid or unworthy. Another was self-discipline. There is no quality more desirable among those who wish to serve their country well than self-discipline. During the war years, we were all under intense self-discipline and were we any the worse for it? Since then there has been a tendencv to relax that hold over-self.”