A PUBLIC TRIBUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22832, 17 March 1936, Page 6

A PUBLIC TRIBUTE

fUNERAL OF SIR FRANCIS BELL LARGE CONCOURSE OF MOURNERS (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 16. The funeral of Sir Francis Bell took since to-day. St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral ■was crowded out with one of the largest and most representative congregations ever seen In Wellington, practically every section of the community and all shades of political thought being represented. Those present included Major Purvis (representing the GovernorGeneral), Mr Savage (Prime Minister), Messrs Mason and Parry, Langstone and Fagan (Ministers of the Crown), Justices Reed, Ostler, Blair, and Kennedy, and prominent members of both Houses of the Legislature, including Mr Coates. The legal profession waa well represented, and also public bodies, Government departments, the civic authorities, commercial and other interests. The chief mourners were his son, Mr Cheviot Bell, and Mrs Bell, his daughters and sons-in-law, Mr Justice Johnston and Mrs Johnston, Mrs G. H. F. Rolleston, Miss Bell, Mr and Mrs J. G. Denniston, Mrs Warwick Blundell (his granddaughter) and Mr Blundell, Mr Nigel Johnston (a grandson), Mr E. D. Bell (his brother), Mr A, K. S. Mackenzie (his nephew) and Mrs Mao-

kenzie. The pall-bearers were the relations and Mr Charles Gill, his personal servant, and members of the staff of the law firm for over 40 years. The service was conducted by Bishop Sprott, and Canon James preached the panegyric and also officiated at the Karori Crematorium. In his panegyric Canon James referred to the passing of n link with the colonisation days in New Zealand in Sir Francis Bell and also to his long term of public service, both in • civic and political life. He paid tribute to Sir Francis as the leader of the legal profession for half a century in New Zealand. He was a lover of men and loved all men. He was remembered particularly in St. Paul’s, where the Toe H lamp was dedicated to his son, who fell in the war. Members of Toe H participated in the cathedral service. “AN IMPERISHABLE NAME” INSPIRATION AND" GUIDE TRIBUTES BY BENCH AND BAR (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 16. Tributes to the memory of Sir Francis Bell were voiced by speakers at a large gathering of the Bench and Bar in the Supreme Court this afternoon. The •Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, presided and there was a notable gathering of the legal profession. The Attorney-general, Mr H. G. R. .Mason, who was making his first public appearance in an official capacity, said that the legal profession always felt that the standard of honour was in safe keeping in the hands of Sir Francis Bell, who had rendered signal service to his country, and whose devotion to the service of his fellows extended far beyond an interest in his professional activities. Mr 11. F. O’Leary, president of the New Zealand Law Society, and Mr David Perry, president of the Wellington District Law Society, also paid eloquent tributes to the life and of one who had always been an inspiration and guide to those whom he always delighted to call his brothers of the Bar. The Chief Justice said there was no position Sir Francis Bell ever occupied that he did not adorn. His merits were known and recognised everywhere, and his ability as a statesman and a draughtsman were recognised in the councils of the League of Nations. He had performed most valuable service for his Sovereign, his country and his Empire, and had left an imperishable name in our country’s history. The Chief Justice concluded: “1 charge you to cherish the memory of our departed friend and leader as you mourn his loss, for you will never look upon his like again.” A DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR TRIBUTE TO SIR FRANCIS BELL SERVICE AT BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL Old and present boys oE the Otago Boys’ High School gathered yesterday in the assembly hall of the school to do honour to the memory of its most distinguished son, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, who, formerly a dux of the school, was in later years the life-governor of the Old Boys’ Society. The rector (Mr H. P. Kidson) presided, and associated with him on the dais were Bishop Fitchett, Mr W. Dbwnie Stewart, the chairman (Mr W. 11. Brugh) and members of (lie school board of governors, and Mr F. H. Campbell (president of the Old Boys’ Society). Mr Kidson briefly opened the proceedings by reminding his hearers that Sir Francis 801 l was, in the broadest sense, the most distinguished of the alumni of the school —a scholar, statesman and gentleman who, throughout bis long life, honoured his old school. The lesson was read by Bishop Fit- • cbett, from the forty-fourth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiasticns—“ Lot ns now praise famous men. . . TRIBUTE FROM BOARD OF GOVERNORS Mr Brugh said that they had gathered that, day to commemorate the passing of one of the greatest old boys of the school, and be regretted that bis first public appearance as chairman of the school board of governors should be on such a sad occasion. Barely three years bad passed since, carrying more than four-score years, Sir Francis bad • travelled all the way from Wellington to do honour to bis old school. He wished to thank the rector for organis- ’ ing such an impressive ceremony. It showed that be had caught the proper spirit of the old school, and every member of the board felt that in his hands the honour of the school, which every old hoy loved and honoured, was in safe hands. THE ‘‘GRAND OLD MAN” Mr Campbell said that when Sir Francis Bell presided over the jubilee of the school in 1913, he stated, in the course of his remarks, that the honour of being asked to preside was one he valued more highly than any that had over been paid him. Needless to say, every old hoy felt just as honoured nt having such a distinguished exsdiolar at the head of the society. It might lie said, indeed, that he remained (11(7 head of the old hoys until the end, for lie had been elected patron of the society. He did not, however, like this

term, and recently it had been changed to “ life-governor.” Present boys of the school might not know it, but Sir Francis Bell was responsible for the well-known custom of saluting the memorial arch when entering or leaving the school grounds. He would ask them, said Mr Campbell, that when passing under the arch, the boys should give a thought to one who, it might be said in all reverence, was the “ grand old man ’ of the Otago Boys’ High School. A PROUD RECORD The address was delivered by Mr Downie Stewart, who, in the course of his remarks, eulogised the services given to the State by Sir Francis Bell, and gave some intimate glimpses of the private life of the great statesman. “ We have met,” said Mr Stewart, “ to pay a tribute to the memory of an old boy of the school—Sir Francis Bell — who, throughout his long and illustrious career, maintained an affectionate and generous interest in its progress and welfare. His record is one of which wo may all be justly proud. In so far ns his mind and character were trained and moulded by its early masters, we may truly say that the Otago Boys’ High School shines in the reflected lustre of his great achievements. The, chronicle of his career has been so well recorded in the newspapers that with your permission I will confine myself to some personal impressions of his work and character. I had the good fortune to be one of his colleagues in the Cabinet for some years, and I had the privilege of enjoying his personal friendship both while we were in office and out of office. It is a remarkable fact that the combined careers of Sir Francis Bell and his distinguished father cover practically the whole period of our political history. The father was a njember of the Legislative Council in 1848, before responsible Government had been granted, and the first Ministry under responsible Government in 1850 was known as the Bell-Sewcll Ministry. But not only did Sir Francis and Ins father occupy many posts of distinction in the Government of the country. The' third generation was also represented in Parliament by a son of Sir Francis— William Henry Dillon Bell, who showed every promise of repeating the brilliant career of his father and grandfather. But he left Parliament in 1914 to serve in the Great War, and was killed in action in France. Sir Francis Bell was the last survivor of the elder statesmen who were in the Cabinet when I joined it in 1921. Mr Massey, Sir William Herrics, and Sir William Fraser all predeceased him.” Mr Stewart went on to say that perhaps because he was an old boy of the school, Sir Francis became a sort of political God-father to him, and from the time he became his colleague up to the time of his death Sir Francis helped him by his guidance and advice, and extended to him his personal friendship in private life. Indeed, he freely gave to all his colleagues the benefit of his superb mental ability, his vast stores of knowledge and his wide bxperiencc. He was a man of tireless energy and his powerful mind swept like a searchlight over problems that arose in every department of State. Bpt the popular belief that he dominated the Cabinet and was in fact a dictator was entirely unfounded and was unjust to his conception of his proper duty. At all times he recognised and paid loyal deference to the judgment of his chief, Mr Massey, who possessed in a rare degree great political sagacity and an amazing flair for what was politically practicable. In fact, the legal and constitutional knowledge of Sir Francis on the one side and the solid common sense of Mr Massey on the other side made an ideal partnership. Each contributed his own special gifts and his own individual qualities. There was no question of rivalry or competition. On one occasion when in the absence of Mr Massey some hostile criticism of him was offered Sir Francis Bell turned with a gesture of protest and said: Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus; and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. In the sphere of local government, the Forestry Department, the Treasury, Customs, Lands and other departments Sir Francis made many beneficial changes and improvements. In the wider sphere of Imperial affairs he kept this country on sound lines. One case was known while he was in London, in which the most brilliant law officers of the Crown abandoned their own view in order to adopt that of Sir Francis Bell. “If you ask me the secret of bis great success, apart from his natural gifts,” continued Mr Stewart, “ I would say it was his astonishing powers of concentration. Once his mind was was directed to a particular problem he focussed on it with such intense energy that for the time being everything else was excluded. On one occasion he listened for some hours to the conflicting views of a group of men who placed before him a complicated series of facts and wanted a Bill drawn for legislation. They assumed that he would take some weeks to draft the legislation. But to their astonishment he said, 1 1 see what you want,’ called in a typist and dictated a complete Bill of many pages. When it was finished no one wished to alter a word. But he was not only a great lawyer. He was a fine scholar. I rarely got a letter from him which did not contain some apt quotation from Horace or Virgil. He had a wide and accurate knowledge of English literature. When a Legislative Councillor objected to New Zealand’s war effort, Sir Francis burst out in reply with some stanzas from Byron’s great lyric, ‘The Isles of Greece ’:

Must we but weep o’er days more blest? Must we but blush —Our fathers bled. Earth! Render back from out thy breast A remnant of our Spartan dead Of the throe hundred grant hut three To make a new Tlicnnopyhc

11l vain—in vain—strike other chords Fill high the cup with Samian wine. Leave battle to the Turkish hordes And shed the blood of Seio’s vine . . . “And so on, till the poet ends — A land of slaves shall ne’er he mine— Dash down yon cup of Samian wine. “Finally,” said Mr Stewart, in conclusion, “ Sir Francis was not only a great statesman, jurist and scholar, but he was a great gentleman, and displayed a charming courtesy to young and old. rich and’poor, friend and foe. He had what people call an old world courtesy. But it ought equally to be new-world courtesy, and Sir Francis exemplified that it could be so in his daily walk and conversation. On one occasion when I was vexed and worried, Sir Francis consoled me by saying, ‘Remember always that we are greatly privileged to be advisers to his Majesty the King, at a time of exceptional difficulty and in years to come you will forget your trials and worries of office and recall the great privileges you enjoyed.’ He took a keen interest in all forms of sport and in out-door life, and he was always happy amongst the birds and trees in his garden. He obeyed the apostles’ injunction that men should be lovers of hospitality, and ho entertained his friends and visitors with genuine pleasure. In short, he was what pupils of

the school would all wish that an old boy of the school should be.” They could not hope to equal his record, but his life and work would bo an example and inspiration to many generations of schoolboys and show them what it was possible to do and become, if they maintained the high ideals of work and service that were lived up to by their old school-fellow, Sir Francis Bell. At the conclusion of Mr Stewart’s address, the hymn " O God of Bethel ” was sung, and the benediction pronounced by Bishop Fitchett. BUSINESS MEN’S TRIBUTE A motion expressing appreciation of the services of Sir Francis Bell to the Dominion was carried at the meeting of the Council of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce last night. The president (Mr M. S. Myers) stated that Sir Francis had devoted his life to the welfare of his country and his passing would be deeply regretted.