HOUSE PAYS TRIBUTES TO LATE HON. W. DOWNIE STEWART

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1949, Page 4

HOUSE PAYS TRIBUTES TO LATE HON. W. DOWNIE STEWART

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (P.A.)—Tributes of respect to the memory of’the late. Hon. W. Downie Stewart, former Minister of the Crown, were paid in the House of Representatives today. References were made to his indomitable courage in the face of physical infirmities from which he suffered following service in France in World War 1. The House adopted a resolution recording Mr. Stewart's devoted and distinguished services to New Zealand and the British Commonwealth, and tendered its sympathy to his relatives. The resolution was moved by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), and seconded by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), Senior Opposition Whip, on behalf of the Opposition. After lie recalled how Mr. Stewart was wheeled in a chair into the Chamber to attend sittings of the House, Mr. Fraser said that that would have inspired pity among those in the House at the time were it not for the fact that ail members knew that his tortured body contained a great mind and an indomitable spirit that rose triumphant over the painful complaint from which he suffered. Mr. Stewart ...was known as a very honourable opponent, and as a man who scorned to make mere partypoints. Mr. Fraser said he had never found Mr. Stewart dogmatic or immovable. On the contrary, he had always found him resilient and receptive, and anxious to do the right thing, but. any question of principle he - considered fundamental was sacred to him. He could not be a party to monetary revaluation which other members of the Cabinet to which he belonged considered necessary in the economic interests of the country, and resigned from that Min-

Mr. Broadfoot said that the late Mr, Stewart was a worthy son of New Zealand,, w.ho was imbued with high ideals a:>l a desire to serve the community as a whole. Ho was one of the architects of the Ottawa Agreement which strengthened the ties of Empire and Empire trade. When policy conflicted with principle, he stuck to principle. Tributes were also paid by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash), Messrs. Bodkin, Connolly, and Doidge, the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones), and Messrs. Langstone, Algie, and Rae. The House rose at 3.40 p.m. as a mark ot respect until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.