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Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1924, Page 2

Continuing the review of the personnel of the Home Labour .Ministry, the clergyman biographer in England writes further: Mr J. 11. Thomas. Colonial Secretary, began life as an errand bov. His parents were labouring folk in Newport, on the borders of Wales. Some months ago he passed through his native place, accompanied by the Prince of Wales. As they rode through the town the car passed the draper's shop in which .T. 11. Thomas had boon an errand hoy, and standing in tlie doorway, lie recognised the manager who had employed, him as errand boy -10 years ago. That manager must have been proud to see his errand boy occupying so important a position. Certainly the erstwhile errand boy was proud. ■At a luncheon given later in the day lie said it would be idle to deny that lie was a proud man that day. "I shouhl be less than human if all that did not move me. It would be a poor world if it were bereft «r sentiment. The moral I draw from It is not one of bitterness, lull one of thankfulness and pride that the Constitution should enable a humble hoy with limited prospects, and poverty surrounding him to occupy such a position.” An errand hoy at 9, he went later to work on the railway. lie started at the bottom as a “cleaner.” then .slowly rose to he an engine-driver. That association with railways determined the later direction of his life work. As secretary of the powerful National Union of Rnilwaymcn lias his main work been done. It lias been arduous work. I lie post of trade union leader sometimes seems to he the least to be desired post ill the world. I 1 has played a great part in a difficult place. Tn snort he was also proficient, lie was a member of the "Wales Rugby team which deleated the All Blacks at Swansea in IMF. by .’1 to nil. the only defeat of a memorable tour In the New Zealanders. ,

Tin: next member i.l the Ministry is the important cog in ihe Labor machinery governing (beat Britain, for lie deals with tiuanee. Before taking office he was a close critic ol matters financial, liven now l.e is one of the critics el the Dawes report, for lie aces gloat industrial competition for Kngland once (leriiiany is set on her loot again financially—and has not been slow to express bis opinion, greatly to tlic delight. of those opposed to Britain finding loan money for Germany to create further unemployment in England. Mr Philip Snowden, the Chancellor of the Kxcliquer is a village hoy. From a remote village high up ill the heart of the l’ennines, miles away from railway lilies, lie comes, lie received his early education in a village school. Working hard, he won a post in the ( ivil Service. Then came the c ycle accident, which left him hull a cripple and changed his career. Whilst on bis hack in hospital for six months lie read much on so'in! ) roblcins. ami tbcui threw himself into advocacy wot It. both iii the I*:ess and on the P'lattoriii. In bis case, as in so many others, out of that frustration of bis youth lias come a great career, lie says that alter his first. Parliamentary sue css a "oimni in |!!m Itbiiru c ried in him: “You will light for the poor. Won t you!-'” flic words have been with him ever since. Jn the Budget li" lias first introduced that lias been hi.; par: oe. At the i*l of life, lie

siijs. |i;> wants im pioaUT :.j»t•*»»• |!i;iii In Linin' Unit be Inis • •.i;■ Ii- I>• •.I II rilli lll In have I larcil nil lii.s inlliii.stone I lie wniils, ‘dll' worked for the pool - .” Tin: closing individual reference is in a millers’ poet, a vei.v striking jun.son. alily on the l.alior hcn.krs. Pcrliii] s the iiiosl moving speech in iliis Parliament was spoken aonie months non liy James ('. Welsh, the miners' poet. IJis storv of pit life, railed “The Underwiild,” is w ell known. 11 is speech captivated the House. Its beauty c>: plir.-i-siiijr. its poignant hin.ian appea" (ontrastiiig the s] lendour el' the Stale oeiiing of Parliament with the miser* ahle eonditions lhai jicvail in a Sluttish milling village, leit lew hearts nnmnved. “Tile workets,” lie said, "have discovered that it is not true that (toil lias ordained that they should In* eontent in the class in which they were horn.’’ Welsh was horn in a miner's home in l.anai'd. in Scotland. One of a family of It!, he was sent to work at the piL head for a shilling a. day when 11 years old. When 1l! he went clown the nude, am) worked 12 hours for If. pence. When 12 or 13 the lad heard a skylark', lie had heard the soup h lore, hut on that day the beauty and wonder of it gripped him in an unusual way. He tried 1 to nut his feelings into verse and wrote a number of lines. He kept the verses a secret, until one day, having torn his coat, the poem fell out of his pocket as his mother started to mend the tear. Tie watched her pick up the versos and read them. He was in fear and trembling as to her verdict. S l| e smiled and asked who the poet might lie. He admitted authorship. ami then she exclaimed. “Well. (I’ve know, I think its grand.” With that encouragement, he wrote other verses, always submitting them to her judgment, and was satisfied if they pleased her. So the pit hoy cam" to authorship, and now he sits—a very interesting personality—as a Labour member of the House of Commons.