"IRON SHARPENETH IRON"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 300, 15 September 1919, Page 5

"IRON SHARPENETH IRON"

POLITICAL LEADERS' RECORDS. A few reminiscences of earlier days in Parliament were given by Mr. Massey in an after-dinner speech at the Commercial Travelers' Club on Saturday evening. Mr Massey was responding to the toast of Parliament. "I feel quite competent to respond to tho toast or J'ariialiicnt." he said, "and 1 will tell you why—two or three months ago I completed my twenty-fifth jear as a member of the New Zealand Parliament. When I came into Parliament I was a very innocent politician. (Laughter.) It mav interest you to know that Sir .William Fraser, who is hero to-night, took ,the oath on the same (lay with lue. There is a proverb something like this— T think it is one of Solomon's—'lron sharpeneth iron, so a man fharpeneth the countenance of his friend.' I have been for twenty-five years associated with gentlemen like Sir James Carroll, Sir Joseph Ward, and others of the same sort, and I don't feel nearly so innocent' as I did twenty-five years ago." (Laughter.) Sir Joseph Warily icfemiig to Mr. Masjev's remark, said: "If Mr. Massey and Sir AViHialii F nisei; have, had their wits sharpened, then mine must lie very sharp indeed, beeauso I am in my thirtythird vear as a member of Parliament. Twentv-fivo from thirly-tliree leaves eight, so T must be eight times better. In anv case it shows at least what a very fine combination we are. There are a whole lot of people anxious at the present moment to got into Parliament to havo their wits sharpened, but they are very likely to remain out of it, without being sharpened." (Applause.)