MR. STANLEY BRUCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20424, 28 November 1929, Page 12

MR. STANLEY BRUCE.

GRACEFUL RETIREMENT.

RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE.

{FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

SYDNEY, Nov. 21

The ex-Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. S. M. Bruce, who has been on a visit to Sydney the last few days, probably stands higher, in the hour of political adversity, in the estimation of the community and even of his opponents, than over before in his public career, for tho simple reason that, like tho wellgraced actor, he has shown that ho knows how to retire in the hour of defeat. The test of a man and of the loader of a party, in the stern crucible of public opinion, is his ability gracefully to accept defeat, and to shako his conqueror by tho hand. His speech at tho big luncheon in his honour in Sydney a few days ago was perhaps tho most impressive of his many public utterances. In its references to tho new Federal Government it struck a lofty, tolerant and felicitous note, in striking contrast with tho bitter references to Labour by the New South Wales Premier, Mr. Bavin, at that function.

A picture of health and as brown as a berry, Mr. Brtico filled in, on the golf links, most of his spare time in Sydney, but it is obvious from a close-up of him in his retirement, that ho will chafe under inactivity, and will not bo completely happy until ho is again serving tho public in some capacity or other. The full extent of Mr. Bruco's sacrifice on the altar of politics is not, generally appreciated, even to-day. It has been said—and it is easy to believe it—that, as a private Federal member, Mr. Bruce did not draw his salary, and that, when Prime Minister, ho threw overboard tho whole of his directorates and other private interests, involving him in a loss of £IO,OOO or more a year. But of these things lie has never breathed a word himself. It is a quality which one must admire in a man, no matter what his political faith