ANOTHER SIDE OF THE MAN.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2440, 13 May 1925, Page 5

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE MAN.

A WONDERFUL BOSS, AS SEEN BY MR A. LEWIS. PREMIER’S MESSENGER. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. . Few men had the privilege of knowing the late Prime Minister as ho was knokn b yMr Alfred Lewis, for many years Mr Massey’s head messenger. The affection of one for the other was a .paing that |imprcs;(cd -itself 'upon those whose daily round k*ept them in touch with Parliament House and its inhabitants. Mr Lewis, one< of the most retiring of men, would remain inconspicuous for ever were he left to himself, but Mr Massey refused to let it be so. “He is a real man,’’ the Old Chief used to say, “and I do not know what I would do if I lost him.’’ Mr Lewis joined the staff of the Prime Minister seven years ago and in that time has had many opportunities of ob. serv.ng the chief at close quarters. The great thing he was struck with at the beginning of his service under Mr Massey was his chief’s wonderful punctuality, “It dawned on me .Immediately, ’’ he said, ‘ ‘ that here was a man who was at his post to the very minute m the morning, no matter how late his duties kept him the night before, whatever time the- House sat to or whatever time he finished with the many who came to s,ec him. When he was on tour there- was no chance of his altering his hour of commencing the work he had to do next day. I have never in all my t ’inc with him known him to be late and it is not for me to mention the many Jong hours he had to stay up when the House was in session. His physique was wonderful. He would go home tired out, but always cheerful, and he would return next morning before anyone else was about, fit and ready to carry on the work of the day as though he had just come from a long holiday. |Of course, there were tunes when the strain of the enormous pressure he was enduring told upon his mighty frame, but he never complained and all he required when he came down to begin the business of the day was to know that everything was at hand and in order for him to go right ahead, (Sympathy wiith him because he looked tired was of no value to him. I do not suggest that much of the preparation for the day’s work developed upon me, but I just spoke of things as I saw them at close quarters, “He was a wonderful boss —the best 1 have ever known and there will never be anotherlike h in. I think it took him a while to place much trust in me, but that was h s way with all men. He did not rush anyone. He found men out gradually, but once he trusted a man no one could shift his faith in that man. He was not given to praise to one’s face, but there were means of gathering that he appreeAted one’s worth, and if one worked well for him there was not a man on the face of the earth that would tell the boss that any messenger was better than my man. On one occasion going Hom. on the beat to the last imperial Conference the chief got very annoyed, Someone referred to me as hig valet. I did not mind in the least, but Mr Massey did. ‘He isf not a valet,' he said, ‘he’s Lewis, my head messenger.’ It was only a little thing, but he stuck up fol his staff. Even in small things he was a big man, the chief was. People went to Mr Massey once and endeavoured to poison his mind against me, Mr Massey did not challenge me with what they had said; ne simply told me about it and sa d that he had dismissed them summarily. “I don’t care what you are, Lewis,’ he said, ‘so long as you are a man. You have been a man to me and while you remain so you have nothing to fear, whatever some of my friends may say.' That bound me to Mr Massey more than anything else could have done. It was all I could wish for, to know that while I did my duty the position was secure, and condemn me who might, niy respected chief paid no heed. “Mr Massey took little credit to himself for anything that turned out well. I remember on one occasion after w,e had passed through the States he picked up an American pa’per and read an account o£ the personal appearance of New Zealand’s Prime Minister. It was highly complimentary, but Mr Massey did not think of the application it had to his own presence. He brought the paper along and handing it to me said: ‘Read that, Lewis. There’s a compliment tc the way you turn me out. Home people used to think that when Mi Massey got On the steamer to go tc the Imperial Conference he sat down ii an easy chair to enjoy the trip all th< way No one knows better than I d(

that such was not the case. He would rise at seven o’clock in the morning to the very minute, day in and day out, bath, have a cup of tea, read every line of the daily news that was available and settle down to work as soon as breakfast was over. He wrote by his own hand sheets upon sheets of foolscap on the way home on the, last occasion and everything he wrote was national business. Even to one who was not attached to h.'s secretarial staff, but merely had to attend to him from the time he rose till he went to rest, it was evident that a steamer trip was no complete holiday for the Prime Minister.

‘‘ He was a man. with a great heart. He djd a lot of good in a quiet way, but never bothered to mention it. Someone said to him once: ‘I suppose you do a lot of good one way and another, Mr Massey.’ ‘I suppose I do,’ he replied. But that was all anyone ever got' out of him. About that side of his nature, I have seen a lot in the papers from time to time to the effect that his word was his bond. Of course, I do not know about that politically, but I do know that as far as the men who worked for him went it is correct to the letter. What the chief said went and what he promised was fulfilled. Ho did not like timid men. I never saw anyone or anything he was afraid of and when he saw a man that was not built very much that way he at once took a dislike- to him. When he was on tour those who were w.th him shared in whatever attention was bestowed upon him. To leave anyone out of anything was unthinkable with him. There was not a mean or incons.deratc bone in his body. This is not only my own experience', but the experience of everyone of us who have worked for him. You can verify that from any messenger who- has served him.

“Very few will ever know what Mr Massey suffered in the last year or so and no one will be able to tell how bravely he bore up. He was full of fight always and his sp.rit was never defeated. To my mind he had the heart of a 155 n. He suffered intense pain at times long before his 'Operation, but on no occasion wh.lc I was looking after hi'm was there a sign of his giving way. He fought on. It was a sad day for me when I went with him to the hospital just six week* ago, anri for all the messenger staff attached io his office it was a big blow when the end came. We were deeply attached to him. We saw a side of him that is not seen by others and we know what a white man and great boss he was. It we Live to be a hundred we will never forget Mr Massey, ’ ’