LATE HON.J.D.ORMOND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 12, 9 October 1917, Page 6

LATE HON.J.D.ORMOND

REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT TRIBUTE BY PRIME MINISTER When the House of Representatives met last evening the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. y. Massey) moved :-"That this House records its high senso of t'lie distinguished service rendered to New Zealand by the lato Hon. J. D. Ormond, a, tormer member of the House of Ifepresentatives and an ex-Minister of ths Uwn, and respectfully tenders to his ™"W family its sincere sympathy iv 5? m m tlleir ? reat bereavement.''' • mt. Massey said that the record of the career of the late Mr. Ormond was that otan exceedingly useful public man, andan earnest, energetic, and enterprising settler. He had come to New Zealand as a youth of sixteen years, but very soon, lie had proved his ability in an administrative capacity. He was called upon by his fellow-colonists to fill several very important public positions, which ho held for many years with great credit to himself and to the fullest satisfaction of Ins 10l ow-citizens. The men who laid the foundation of a young nation, as Mr. •Ormond and those associated' with him had done, did an even greater service to. their fellow-men than was performed by the public men who came later, wben progress and development had been defined on sound linos. To Mr. Ormond and other pioneers the people of to-day owed a'dehfc of gratitude which should never be forgotten. He had retained his keen interest in public affairs right to. tho day of his death. "Only a few days ago,'* said Mr. Massey, "ho came into my offico and told me of a block of laud which bethought would be very suitable for settlement by returned soldiers.. He asked that this land should be purchased and made available for these men. His intellect was as keen as ever, his memory, was -unimpaired, and bis judgment was as sound as it was in his prime. He was one of the links connecting his day with the present lime. We know that in his day; the settlers had to endure < difficulties, - dangers, and hardships. Difficulties anddangers are with us now. The manhood of this country aro being called npou to fight for their country and Empire in a way that none of us anticipated until recent years. We honour and respect the pioiir cers, and we glory in the fact.that their sons and other New Zenlanders are fighting for us nowj and fighting successfully. The late Mr. Ormond passed away full of years and honour. His voice will no longer bo heard in the councils of this country. His keen judgment and ripo experience will no longer be nvf.ilnble for the public men who were in the habit of asking his advice. By hi? death a serious loss hnsNcome to the people of this Dominion." Recollections. Sir Joseph Ward, seconding the motion, recalled his first meeting with Mr. J. D. Ormond, when he (Sir Joseph Ward) entered Parliament as a. young man for tho x first time. At thnfc time, he said, Mr. Ormond was looked upon 1 as one of the leaders in politics of tiie day. There were only three men alive to-day who held office prior to 1878, in the days when Mr. Ormond was a respon- 1 sible Minister. These were the Chiet Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Sir Charles Bowen, and Mr. Donald Eeid. All thesa men did great and.valuable work in (ho development of this young country. Hei remembered the first speech he had evet* heard .Mr. Ormond make. At once ho was impressed with his close reasoning ability, and with the attention paid to his remarks by other members of tho House. In those days there were acerbities sometimes in politics, and Mr. Ormond had his vicissitudes, but he wag a clean and fair fighter, as well as a hard fighter. In sport, Mr. Ormond had set and maintained a high standard, and it'\was something:-for a'man; to have taken such a leading part in this branch! of the social life of .this country, and Ileffc such an honourable name. Wr Joseph Ward expressed sympathy with! the widow and family of the late Mr< Ormond in their grief. Rich in Achievement. ** Sir John Findlay; said that he had had " experience of Mr. Ormond when he was a member with him of tho Legislative Council. Mr. Ormond showed always those rarer manly qualities. _ Ho was fearless in tho expression of his opinions, never seeking by any meretricious means to conceal his real opinions. Never had he 6bught to serve his own interests at the expense of his country's -welfare! Hawke's Bay was rich in ita association with men who had served their country well, and in that galaxy Mr. Ormond'6 memory would have place. After . 88 years of strenuous life he would go down to his grave revered and honoured, rich in achievement. The record he had left would bo one of the best monuments to his purity and patriotism. Dr. Newman said that Mr. Ormond had; como to Hawke's-Bay in the days when that part of the country was all a wilderness, and he had been tireless in the development of Hawke's Bay: .In this ha had done a remarkable amount of work. He was a naturally silent man, not fond of talking, but he was probably one of the ablest men New Zealand had ever known. He had rare common sense. Probably the greatest work of his life was when he took over tho East Coast district in the troublous days. By his careful and prudent administration he saved a great amount of trouble on"that coast. This was probably tho crowning work of his life. At ono time Mr. Ormond had only to say "Yes" to a deputation to be Premier of this country. But he was too shy a man for that work, -being devoted to a country life. For many years, however, he was almost the greatest power behind the throne in this country. In his 86 yearn of life he had put up a proud lecord, worthy of emulation. Mr. W. T. Jennings said that Mr. Ormond had great love for this country, and in his early days as a Minister 1-e had withstood an appeal from a great railway builder to be allowed to construct a railway from end to. end of this country mconsideration of a concession of land for twenty miles on either side of the railway. This proposal Mr. Ormond did not consider to be in the interests of this country, and he rejected it. . He revered the memory of the honourable gentleman as a true patriot, and a man who had done much for this country. Tho motion was agreed to, and »ko a, / further motion that the House adjourn, as a mark of respect to the late Mr, Ormond's memory.