FRANK THOMSON

NZ Truth, Issue 1035, 26 September 1925, Page 6

FRANK THOMSON

The Power Behind the Throne

So it followed that the King handed him . a C.M.G.-ship, which doesn't m any way seem to hamper him. He is still as much at home m Wellington as he was m Europe, where he won the praise of Sir Maurice Hankey for his work m the secretariat of the War and Peace Conferences. , ■ ' \ ( He is always there m his sanctum, smiling, courteous, tactful, with a patience m dealing: with the numerous and varied types of callers that" seems to be inexhaustible, and with a fund of anecdotes that would mortify . a commercial traveller. -

Let the House, of Representatives sit until daybreak, and the members of the first deputation to see the Prime Minister will find Frank Thomson, private secretary, waiting to greet them. ..'.-.. ,

Countless numbers find themselves on their way home again without having seen the head of the Government, but they are none the less satisfied. They have seen Frank Thomson, and he has a habit of fixing tliing.s up.

It was m the schools of Napier that Frank first said his 'A.B.C., and from, there he later went to Victoria College. He graduated from there, taking the B.A. Degree with distinction. Hobby: Work. . • ■ Vices: Late hours.

FRANK D. THOMSON,

chief aide to Prime Minister Coates, is not, m mere- inches, a man of"> commanding height, but he has proved his ability to rise to the height of command — or, harder still, to be the power behind the throne.

Read between the lines of many Ministerial pronouncements, and you find — Frank Thomson. The voice is the voice of tlve P.M., but the hand is the hand of the P.S.

In this there is nothing new, for history has often been .made by short men, and by men more or less behind the scenes. Greater than physique is personality. . . ', . ' '

It was the late Richard John Seddon who first discovered the possibilities m .the short, dapper little man m the secretarial department of the Government. Frank Thomson joined his staff as assistant secretary.

In 1912 Mr. Massey obtained his services and held on ,to them. Both these big men owe much to him. ' His work frequently reached the plane of diplomacy.