A DESERVED TRIBUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22751, 11 December 1935, Page 8

A DESERVED TRIBUTE

The tribute paid by Professor H. Belshaw, of Auckland University College, to the late Minister of Finance, Mr Coates, was both timely and just. During his year's association with Mr Coates in an advisory capacity, Professor Belshaw had an excellent opportunity of observing his capacity and assessing the worth of his achievements on the country's behalf. In an interview in Auckland Professor Belshaw expressed his opinion of Mr Coates in these terms: " There is no statesman who has done more for New Zealand, faced greater difficulties, or served his country with greater vision and resolution or with less thought of self." That is high praise indeed, and it makes pleasanter reading because it is as deserved as such a tribute can be in ; a -world where no man is to be accounted infallible. Mr Coates, during a long and particularly active political career, has had bis share of the criticism that comes to all public men. This is especially true of the last four strenuous years, in which he had the courage to direct a course and see that it was maintained in the face of all opposition. Such resoluteness of purpose is to be admired, even when mistakes are to be alleged or, perhaps, admitted. Not even Mr Coates's most unrelenting critics, we imagine, will deny his fearlessness, his many-sided ability as an administrator, and his tremendous energy. None should appear to question his honesty of intention. He actually invited criticism by making himself the chief sponsor, among his Cabinet colleagues, of the Government's controversial recovery legislation. In the nature of things most of the criticism was directed against him —a circumstance that seemed to dismay him not in the least. Mr Coates believed that what he was doing Avas in the country's best interests, and he had the courage—or the wisdom, according to the point of view—to seek advice and assistance in the solution of problems without precedent in the history of the Dominion. His name is closely linked with most of the National Government's acts—with the much-talked-of exchange decision, the Ottawa agreements, and the more recent meat and dairy produce agreements, with Customs revision, and with the last and most notable legislative enactments creating the Reserve Bank, the Executive Commission of Agriculture, the Mortgage Corporation, and the machinery for the final adjustment of rural mortgages. Tf he made mistakes, as he did, it was

because any man would have made them in like circumstances; if he made unwise decisions it was presumably because he thought them wiser than they proved; if he showed himself at times impatient of opposition it was because it was always his nature to press ahead with the job, rather than to invite disaster by inaction. History will prove the wisdom or unwisdom of some at least of the policies to which he gave effect. But at this stage it is fair to admit the remarkable nature of the man's personal achievement, and to admit also that he was never known to shirk work, worry, or responsibility when performance of a task seemed to be demanded of him in the national interests.