PREMIER-ELECT

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19745, 28 November 1935, Page 8

PREMIER-ELECT

MR SAVAGE’S CAREER. ASSET OF GOODWILL. SIXTEEN YEARS IN THE HOUSE. A rare asset of Domlnion-xvlde public goodwill and a happy knack of making many friends and few enemies have well fitted the Labour Party Leader, Mr M. J. Savage, for the leadership of his followers to the Treasury Benches. Sixty-three years of age, Mr Savage entered Parliament in 1919 to form the nucleus of the Labour Party with the late Mr H. E. Holland at its head. One of the most likeable features about Mr Savage is his kind moderation. He is no extremist. Although an Australian by birth he is a New Zealander in outlook, possessing no suspicion of Irresponsibility or lack of sincerity. Born at Benalla, Victoria, 63 years ago, Mr Savage began life with few advantages, and in youth and early manhood he followed several occupations, most of them arduous enough. He has worked in a general store, in a mine, on a farm; he has dug canals and out flax; he has been what he describes as • “rouseabout” in a brewery; he has done secretarial work for a trade union, and jtff the past 16 years he .has sat-f'n Parliament as the representative of the same constituency, Auckland West. At the age of about 20 the great Melbourne bank crash drove him out of his job in the country store at Benalla, and he went to New South Wales, where he worked on one of the sheep stations owned by Sir Samuel McCaughey, a pioneer of Australian irrigation. After some years on the land, he became an alluvial gold miner near Rutherglen, Victoria. There he was appointed local secretary of the Political Labour,

now the Australian Workers’ Union.

Associated With Mr P. 0. Webb.

One of Mr Savage’s fellow-miners at Rutherglen was Mr P. C. Webb, who also was destined for a place in New Zealand Labour politics. Under Mr Webb's persuasion, Mr Savage decided to try his fortune In the Dominion. Arriving in 1907, he obtained work In a flaxmill at Palmerston North. Some time later he was attracted to Auckland by a movement for starting a co-operative grocery business The venture did not come to anything, but Auckland has been his home ever since. The Labour movement made use of his services as a trade union secretary, and while so occupied he contested Auckland Central in 1911 against the sitting Liberal member, Mr A. E. Glover, and two other candidates. He was defeated by about 2200 votes. In 1914 he again failed to unseat Mr Glover, but five years later he was successful in Auckland West against two exceptionally strong candidates, Mr A. J. Entrican and Mr C. F. Bennett. The division of strength returned him with a majority of less than 400 votes over Mr Bennett.

Entry Into Parliament,

On his entry into Parliament Mr Savage formed one of a group of eight Labour members under the leadership of Mr H. E. Holland, a fellow-Australian xvho had come to Nexv Zealand four years later than he. Soon his level-headedness and allround ability brought him to the position of deputy-leader. When Mr Holland died with tragic suddenness at Huntly in October, 1933, he xvas succeeded as leader by Mr Savage. The new leader led the Labour forces with credit to himself for the remainder of the Parliament, and directed his party’s election campaign with a skill of xvhich its successes is sufficient testimony.