LOSSES DURING YEAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20602, 28 June 1930, Page 15

LOSSES DURING YEAR.

DEATHS OF LEGISLATORS.

TRIBUTES TO MEMORY.

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE'S WORK.

[j)Y TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Friday,

The House, of Representatives to-day adopted the usual motions placing on record its appreciation of the high value to tho Dominion of the services of the following deceased legislators, and expressing sympathy with the relatives:— Sir Thomas Mackenzie, former Prime Minister and High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, Sir John Findlay, former Minister of Justice, AttorneyGeneral and Leader of the Legislative Council, Mr. J. G. Harkness, former member for Nelson, and the Hon. H. L. Michel, member of the Legislative Council. Several members paid tribute to the services and personality of each of the deceased members, after which the House adjourned as a mark of respect to their memory.

Tho Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. I Forbes, sketched the career of Sir Thomas Mackenzie, and declared that during his long experience in New Zealand politics he had always brought to bear a high standard of duty, and had never spared himself in any way. Later, during his service as High Commissioner in London in the war years, he had become known as the " soldiers' friend." He had been of genial personality, and his loss was a severe ono to New Zealand. The Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, associated himself with the remarks of Mr. Forbes, and expressed his admiration of the energy with which Sir Thomas had placed before the public valuable works containing a fund of information about New Zealand. Sir Thomas had been a kindly, well-versed man, who had contributed largely to establishing the name which New Zealand products had obtained in the markets of the Empire and of the world. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, endorsed the sentiments expressed by Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates. Referring to Sir John Findlay, the Prime Minister said he had been one of the outstanding men in the leg.il profession in New Zealand, and had brought to bear in his Ministerial duties a valuable legal knowledge. A man of keen insight, ho was one of the most brilliant scholars that had ever passed through Otago University. . Mr. Coates said that Sir John Findlay had been an extremely interesting figure in the House, and his speech on the stabilisation of the currency on one occasion had been one of his finest efforts. Mr. Holland s?id he had known Sir John as a brilliant lawyer and a brilliant speaker. In eveiy department of life to which he had entered his wonderful capacity had stood him in good stead.