Excitable Mr Hughes

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1921, Page 4

Excitable Mr Hughes

HO AY HE LEFT FOR LONDON. SYDNEY, May 3. The extraordinary temperament of Air Hughes, as well as his wonderful mental strength, were illustrated during the two or three clays before his departure from Melbourne, en route to the Imperial Conference, according to stories which are filtering though political channels from the Federal capital.

Air Hughes is like a child when the date of departure on some important journey draws near, and ho becomes wildly excited. FI is is a “one-man Government, and the result is that when he is going away, and is handing over the multitudinous reins to other Ministers, ho has a strenuous and hnrrnssing time. Tt is said that on the day before he departed, the corridor leading to his room was full of waiting people-all sorts and conditions who had urgent business with him. Inside Mr Hughes, with hist coat off, was tryiang to°idietate to two stenographers at once and at the same time give final instructions to a couple of Ministers. As he pranced up and down, he got a glimpse down the corridor and saw the patient crowd. Forthwith, he rushed out shrieking and ordered his scared messengers to “clear all these people away out of this passage—let them wait in the outer corridor.” That is absolutely typical of Air Hughes in an excited condition.

On the day be left (at 4.30 p.m.) be seemed to spend the day rushing about “Parliament House like a “Jnck-in-the Box. He dashed into rooms and dasb*od out, commenced sentences and forgot to finish them, had a gang of messengers and secretaries in his wake gathering u]) things he had forgotten, and harked savagely at everyone. Yet at 1.30 p.m., at a private luncheon, he made a strikingly funny speech, in which he gave reminiscences of his experiences as a super in a theatrical enterprise thirty years ago. From there he walked straight into the House, and made a particularly brilliant speech on the financial position and the condition of Australia’s primary industries. An amazing man! When he got to Adelaide to join the steamer, all sorts of official welcomes and ceremonies awaited him. But he disappeared and the whole official programme was knocked sideways. Tt was afterwards found that he had ducked into a private room, where he had morning tea with Mrs Hughes. Afterwards he strolled by himself into the city and bought some necessary articles of wearing apparel. After that, he had just time to say a few words to the disappointed ones and dash off to the boat. He did not have time to call on tlio Governor— although that* austere personage was solemnly awaiting him at Government House.