NO RESENTMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16837, 28 December 1928, Page 11

NO RESENTMENT

A DEFEATED MINISTER CROWDED TIME IN OFFICE A brief reference In his rfpfoal fit (he fiofleral Election— one of the greatest surprises of the ca'nipnign—was made by Mr. F. J. KolTestoh, the late Minister of Justice and Defence and Attorney(ioner.il, at an enthusiastic gathering held in his honor at Timaru last week. Mr. Rolleston said lie had crowded more work into the last, three years than at any other period of his lite, and at one period he was at the head of ten Departments of State. The verdict at tho election was a considerable one. lint he considered that his holiday, enforced certainly, would be beneficial' in many ways, and fie hore no resentment to the electors. To those who complained that he had been away in Wellington too much he would like to point out that there were 12 Ministers, and consequently 12 electorates would lie partly disfranchised. On behalf of his colleagues, he said that in working for the Dominion they were also working for [heir own electorates. If he had achieved ai'i'y success he felt that ii must be reflected in' the town. If his defeat had been duo to the fact (hat he had former! definite opinions, there were some defeats which were better than victories. If b man had to subordinate his own convictions in order to retain votes, then he would get out of public life altogether. He did not think (hat the electors were unaware of that. Honostv o'f conviction was worth something.

Mr'. Eoileston said he bad made no enemies during his career, and had always received kind consideration from people of all shades of political opinion. If ever public life felt irksome, he bad been spurred on to fresh efforts by the thought, that he was not doing half so much as the soldiers who went to (he front. He concluded with the observation that the highest service a man could give was to his fellow men. and that he regarded as being of the greatest value.