N.S.W. PREMIER

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1939, Page 6

N.S.W. PREMIER

LONGEST TERM OF OFFICE. SYDNEY, March & The Premier (Mr Stevens) has broken a record. He lias held his portfolio longer than any other' leaner of the i\ew South Wales Government. His record is: Premier for six years nine months and 18 days. Previously the holder of the Premiership for the longest time was : the late lVir W. A. Holman. Mr Stevens is 50. He lias liis own recipe for robust health! He just mixes hard work with plenty of gardening. The result is a never-flagging vigor and—no headaches.

He likes work; in fact, he likes being Premier. He is a total abstainer and* does not smoke.

V'At all official luncheons he drinks cojiioii’s quantities of fruit cup. - With liiS- capacity for hard work lie combines the happy facully 'oT'sleepihg' at'will.

This enables him to fit his rest into spare moments. When election campaigning he has amazed his staff by sleeping peacefully in a car travelling at 50 m.p.h., over rough country roads. Singer of Ballads Mr Stevens plays tennis, is a good pianist', an 3 sings' old-fashioned ballads. His idea of a restful • evening is to listen-in to overseas political broadcasts on the short wave. For reading he prefers H° Us e of Commons debates to novels. He devotes five hours a day to personal interviews.

He “knocked up’ 16 in a recent parliamentary cricket match. ' ' ' ■' : He worked next day—but three of the other player? spent the next three days in bed. Survived Four Elections Since he was elected to the Legislative Assembly 12 years ago, Mr Stevens has survived four State elections. He was Assistant Treasurer from October, 1927, to April, 1929, and Treasurer from April 1929 to November 1930. The Prime Minister (Mr tyons)' is also approaching a record. If he remains in office until April 22 ] he will pass the record of Mr Hughes, who was Prime Minister for seven years, three months and 13 days.