ROAD TO FAME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22391, 12 October 1934, Page 18

ROAD TO FAME

AUSTRALIAN STATESMAN REMARKABLE RECORD (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 27. .Mr William Morris Hughes, war-time Prime Minister of Australia and a world figure because of his prominence in the discussion of peace terms, this week celebrated his seventieth birthday, but no one ever thinks of calling him “ The Grand Old Man of Australia.” In the first place Mr Hughes is definitely not old. He seems to be as virile to-day as at any other period 1 of his career, and that is saying a great deal, for no politician in Australia has led a more active life, a more picturesque life, a life more devoted to his country. It is true that in the hurly-burly of party politics that developed in the trying years after the war he found it necessary to step down, but he never lost his place in the hearts of the people, and his fighting spirit was still apparent during the recent election campaign. The voting showed what a strong grip he has on his electorate of North Sydney. There was a disposition among some members of the North Sydney Electoral Council to compel Mr Hughes to submit to a pre-selection ballot. He was invited to attend a meeting. The bolder spirits put their case to Mr Hughes. They had it all cut and dried that he should retire from politics. Mr Hughes had other ideas. “ There will be no preselection ballot as far as I am concerned,” he said. “I am going to stand' for North Sydney, and that is all there is to it. Do your worst.” Then he left the meeting. There was no ballot. Mr Hughes received a unanimous endorse-' merit. At 70 Mr Hughes fights with the same tenacious spirit that he showed at 20 when he left Old North Wales for New South Wales. For 50 years he has helped nobly to build Australia in peace and to steer it in war, and he has made so few enemies that he can always command a quiet and interested audience whenever he makes a speech. There is always something particularly biting in anything he has to say, for he is a man who has hated humbug, and has always gone forward to do his duty as he sees it—in the interests of the country which he learned to love so deeply. His career may be summarised as follows: At 28: He took jobs outback, boundary riding, sinking post holes, and the like. Then he returned to Sydney to mend umbrellas and to help George Rignold, as a super, to play Shakespeare. At 30: He made a strong union out of disorganised waterside workers and was elected to the Parliament of New South Wales. At 37: He was elected to the Federal Parliament, and he remained there for 33 years. At 40: He became Minister of External Affairs. At 44: He rose to be Attorneygeneral. and was reappointed to that post when 46 and 50. < At 51: Became Prime Minister, and held that office for eight years. At 52: Was included in the Imperial War Cabinet, and remained there for five years. Became a Privy Councillor. At 55: Went as a delegate to the World Peace Conference. Asserted himself in no mean way. Turned his deaf ear to people like President Wilson. Became, without pausing for a breath, Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, Freeman of the City of London and 14 other British cities, and gathered in honorary degrees from numerous universities. Became K.C. At 69; Still fighting elections—and winning. On the occasion of his birthday on Tuesday Mr Hughes received congratulations from all over the world and from the leaders of political parties of every colour.