THE LATE MR MASSEY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1925, Page 1

THE LATE MR MASSEY

TIIK MESSAGE OK THE HE ITS. Yesterday at one o’clock preni-ely the vnrioii.s boils oi the town tolled a passing requiem for the mortal remains of the late .Mr .Massey. The time was the hour (ixed tor the movement of the funeral cortege from Parliament Jioit.se, Wellington, to the last, resting place at Point Jlalxwell. overlooking the harbor of Wellington. The tolling a its • ott'ti'. tiled a funeral dirge, and in ia my those familiar with Wellington city ion Id follow the great procession through the streets of the capital out to the hay. The hells were a mournful reminder of the occasion. There a - the deep, sepulchral tone of the brazen bull, the duty oi' which i- over , ; hi,’.z.en out alarm. There was the weelor toned school hell and the tighter noted church bells which struck tlm truer note of the occasion. The • •i’ll waited a solemn message am! reminder and ill that period till New Zealand wits at quiet. A period of great mli'ip e prevailed throughout, the land marking the final ehsvpiies of one who was one of nature's gentlemen, and who had risen from the humblest ranks U) the highest cilice within the gift of the people. Il was hut right that such a one .shoilhl be honored, and not the insist impressive part ill the honoring was the use of the hells lo carry the iil'e-stor,v of William Ferguson .Massey to the mini of everyone within lionr-

AT I’ItIXCESS THEATRE. The memorial service in the Princess Theatre yesterday afternoon was attended liv a large assemblage and the service proved a very solemn and iilll n t; one. The large hall was well il cl, while on the stage were the Alawr (Mr H. A. Perryi. Rev. J. Perkins, Rev. .1. T. .jack. Captain Perry of the Salvation Army, and others. The proceedings opened with a hymn, the .Municipl Hand under Hambeasler C. Homs, supplying the i:ccoin|iaiiiments. Then the .Mayor delivered an address m which he inferred in feeling terms to the life of the departed Prime Minister, eulogising his great liie work. {'apt. Perry followed by K.uliig a psalm and then Her. •). Perkins lulmaed with a prayer. The hvmn “Jc-.su lover of my Soul" and ‘ f.e id Kindly Light'’ were then sung. The Rev. .!. T. Tank tin'll delivered a very impres-ive address making most feeling references to the tile oi the ilepartod slalesman.

The hymn “Abide With Tie" was followed bv a further prayer and then the Hand played the Head March in “Saul" Die National An them bringing an impressive service to a eom lusion. ' UiiTtti. J.TA.N AND N.Z- CAULK ASSOCIATION THE J- AST SAD HITES. AN KNdRMoKS C'ONCOI'RSE. WELLINGTON. May 11.

When Ihe funeral hegali. the heavy rain of forenoon by mid-day had given place to calm. The busy, hustling (own had suddenly heroine quiet, with the shuttered silence of a Sabbath morning, broken only by the sound of people moving quietly toward- I atliameul I lou-e. i‘ rom helnre noon. there was a steady procession, and by one o'clock there were thousand* waiting upon liie slopes and the -lleciitiijoiniug Parliaiuniii, lloit-e. In p*n tielit Stillness they watched, and. with reverent silence, look their part in th ■ - dn’nu and - imple service with V iilnh Ibe la i riies ( ■oniinolii-od. I ben. >.|ii!n i !■< - men bared th ir bead-, tlm 1,;..,- v , a- - lowly borne dawn the steps ill a silence ’broke I.v by the -I rain ■ ~|- 0p.,.,.1 A! tire!)." and Ihe luoftrnl',i| ~, 11 i I,of a In 11.. Ten lui II it I n-‘ -IInol b. nit r.sptn-ind. bill il ■■a-

j ~ : hi. h more l ban l• 11 mi nin n- I, : 1 ,l.e watting lines ..f people I nod ~ujolly b\ while Ihe cortege pa d p rom balconies and window a- u H as from pathways, many thousands, watched Ibe slowly-moving procession. As tlm funeral car appeared, followed by If ira I -laden loiio-. bead w" bared and band- played the '< •' funeral mit-ir. I bus the mortal l< - leader beloved of all pa -i from the hall- where lie bad led U'" ,!,Hindis of the nation, to their hot reding place nil the silent height o, I’.on! I lalswell. i .dig before mid-day. on the "C walk <.f I .ai.iaton Quay. and "I M s - \vi,r 1 1 1 Street and Rouen St reel, p‘-o- ---|.| t . cotigi. gated, their numbers -leadj|y growing; till almost olio o, hu when moveuieii I-> ceased, and Inc oceat concourse Mood in silotlee will, one accord.

When the Alt ill' r.V Rand, slat cued j, i the I’arlia men: ary ilroiiml-. pH' A - ed the first bar- of "The Dead March” in “Saul." Ihe great gathering ai the entrance gates and far along: lh<-

(fua.v i meoveivd. and thus stood motionless and silent as the hearse, billowed by eight draped lorries, healing w ond'O'i ul Moral tribute- to liie ia" Dominion Header, and the ohieial ear- Wound siowl', down the winding eat riage way to the Quay. There the -emi-oflieial ears joined in I rom Roveu Street, and after them again, an apparently endle-s stream of ears I rom Mole-worth St., from Houer l.ambnm (Hiav and Runny Si. •still, a- ihu

cortege tiled slowly past. almost noiselessly, ear after ear. those on tho roadside stood uncovered, motionless and silent. The wonder of it was that so many could stand -o very quietly. Only the mournful music of the. funeral dirge, played by ihe JVtone Hand at the intersection of Fcather.xton Si. and l.amijton Quay, and the slow toll of tho Town Clock broke the reverent silence as the cortege moved on with, upon either side, pacing veterans of the South Airmail campaign, and men returned from toe Croat. War. through more thousands standing in Cppor Hamilton Quay and Willis Street. All .along Manners St. to Courtenay Place. Ihe route was lined by dense crowds of reverent spectators. AYiien the cortege reached the head of Courtenay Place, the veterans and returned soldiers .escorting the hearse halted, and stood to attention, while the luneral moving from Courtenay Place passed into Newtown. Many thousands of people lined both sides of the. streets, and the noble music of the “Dead March” which at intervals along the route pierced the muffled atmosphere, gave a. most impressive and inspirational tone to the last stage of the "rime Minister's last journey.

After leaving the Newtown disti’i :t, the cortege gathered til a luster puce ill order to reach Point I lab-well in good time. Along the whole route to the heat! of Shelley Hay Hoad and !,, Miramar Wharf there were largo assemblages of people to pay their fit ml tributes. From Constable Street downward, ahmg the sloping road skirling the hillsides, and overlooking Evans Hay, the road permit toil the cortege i” make faster progress. Every vantage point was occupied by group- of 'dent people. On reaching the level stretch along the head of the Hav. t he. footpaths were again lined by continuous crowds of mourners. Even when the mod portion of the journey I rom Miramar Peninsular, disclosed at, e\oi\ torn lit lie group- of people, wading to pay a silent tribute to a great man.

Beyond Shelley Hay, ihe head of the procession halted, and the hearse, with the nllii ia! party, was detached, to climb Ihe road, specially made, to the top of the hill, where the casket was transferred to a gun carriage, which was drawn l.y N.C.O.'- of Ihe Permanent Force, along ihe newly made mad and for a quarter of a mile lo Point. 11 a Ism ell. Meantime the re-t of the pro.v-

,i,,n moved oil. and the Member- . o! Cue l.egislaiure. with the olllcitd Departmental heads. Army and Navy representatives. and other prominent people, made their way, by a short cut' up the hillside to tlm site of tic burial. These were grouped around a temporary vault on a Hat spare, bnmercly occupied by a big g""- ; ‘ud a little way oil. the higher knolL were occupied by numbers o! the public.

I'l 1K EAST SCENES

A- the. gnu carriage approached, beaded by the First Battalion Hand, playing the “Funeral March", "very other .sound ceased, except the sighing of a light northerly wind, and tho Inplan of the waves on the beach below. Th,. -Mu remained invisible, hut- the rain held oil', though the higher hilltops were veiled in mist. perry .steamers, crowded with silent onlookers. < r u isod close inshore, while numbers of motor launches amt yachts kept them company, watching tho , .olein ii proceedings on the height above,

When the cortege .reached the enclosure or the Initial site, at T p.m. {'o|-| ora! el Marines, with tin' Chief ~od i’elly Hither- of iI.M.S. Dunedin, bore Ihe lalwl to the grave, the late Prei si,-r's brother and son u aefiig as pall fearers. The Hand i,laved ■‘N'fare, my (hid To Thee." and Ihe Rev. .1. (, ill-oil-Sc l it ii read a portion of I'snlm Hi:',. Verm, R-.-1K; also Revelation t t, >; 11 eI I. A'or-o IT: Kira The.-saloii-aol-r I. Win-.-. I A-1 I : Kir-i Cari„t!, Chapter IN Versos 20-‘2-’; cd Itevebitions. ('banter I . V oi.-es i-t. The -hodv was lowered info tbe grave u,| the Moderator of tlm I'resliytenan Church. Rev. George Miller, recited the committal .portion of the service. ||,. | hen engaged in a short prayer, and pronounced I lie H-in-diel ion. A ; rumpeter of tlie I’erniaiient Kmco (Sergeant IVikeri imumled the '’Hast Post” the notes -minding sweetly and subdued, as befitting ihe occasion.

\L,iUj t hi- i inn'. Iho sun found a rift il, clouds to the westward, and shot a low scattered Imamu -u; the harbour voders, bill the murk <>! the skv closed in again, and .-ombre clouds brooded over the k. elte. MASONIC SERVICE. Then a Masonic service wan read b\ ihe 'Deputy Grand M'lslc ol the New Zealand Constitution (Hro. \\ . *>■ Imlsuiil. assisted by liros. AY. G. Girling. Rev. AY. Sliirer. and Hro. Id. !,. .Michel and Hro. J. A. Nash. U the pro-eedings ended with a Henedietion. pronounced this time by the Rev. Hro. ,'-hirer. YY idle the last !e,v words were being recited, rain be- . . fall and it continued for some minutes heavily, while the d-ad _l’reTiiici*- !aic ( tmb a I.l' i- sad look at the casket, wherein reposed nil that teliiained of him who. in life, they had loved so v .el| Thou they slowly made their way down to the roadway, and so hack ~, . i ..and to their ihotv-ami and ,ne cares' of public and private life. u ,hev did sd. the clouds lifted and the sun shone fitfully forth and poured its slanting, golden rays upon the spot, where, in lonely grandeur their bead leader steeps, bringing to mmd the closing words of his well-known favourite hvnn. : “Abide AYith Me.”,

“Heaven's morning breaks and earths vain shadows fieo - In Hite, in Death. O Hol'd! Abide with

ringtou said Air AHussey was a friend, a statesman, a leader, and a man who was tried and tested, and was found true to the very end. A life such as lii.s was subjected to the severest toll that, the world applied. To bear a burden of _ responsibility which could not he fully shared with anybody else am.l to win and hold the goodwill of his people in political controversy, was a task no man could discharge if he wa.s not a great leader and genuine. If any man in that position tried to merely act the part, he would inevitably he found out. All it cognised Air Afas-ey was a straight, high-minded man, who knew his people because he was one of them ; who upheld their honour. and, in doing so. uphold his own. Simultaneously with the initial tervieg at Doin'. I lalswell this afternoon, the citizens nl Christchurch joined in paying their last respects at a great

united memorial service in the King Edward Barracks. Hong before the time fixed for the commencement of the service, crowds commenced to ar- , ivo at the Barracks, until the immense building was filled with a huge throng. 1 ’,'v. E. D. Hatchett (Chairman of the Christchurch Allnis.tcrs Association) presided, and clergymen of various denominations took part. Iho address was delivered b\ Eo't. ,1. .1. North, of Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, who delivered n very high eitlogism of the dead statesman. .Memorial .services were held in several churches during the day and also at colleges and secondary schools. AVESTI’OiFP. Alav TH

Alomorial services arranged by the Ministers’ Association were held at the Theatre IT oval this afternoon with a good large attendance of the public considering the. wet weather. A memorial service was also held at St. John’s Anglican Church, where the Rev. Air Jerinvn paid a warm tribute R, Air Massey’s life and work. WANGANUI. AJny 11. A very largely attended funeral service in memory of Air Massey was held in Cooks Gardens and the day was observed as a close holiday. NELSON, May 14. Alomorial services were held at the Cathedral and Presbyterian Church (combined) tit- one o’clock, being very largelv attended. GISBORNE, May 11.

To-day was observed as a. day of mourning. Shops and businesses closed all day. The ten minutes’ silence was generally observed at one o'clock. In the afternoon a citizens’ memorial service v.tts held in the Botanical Garden.-. with :t large attendance, of tho public, also territorials, cadets and hoy scouts. Special hymns were sung, and prayers offered, and Rev. James Ait ken delivered an address on tho late Premier. INVERCARGILL. Alay 14. Tn Afemoriam services were held in Invercargill. Gore, and all the smaller towns in Southland, and these were largely attended in every instance, the predominant note being one of sorrow and mourning at. the posting of it distinguished statesman. TT MARI'. .May 14.

A largely-!!!tended memorial service on account of the death ol the late Prime Alinister was held here this afternoon in flic Theatre Royal, the weather being 100 wet, In hold if. in tlio open air. as originally intended. The .service was held under tho auspices of the Tirnaru Alunicipal authorities, the Ministers’ Association, and the School Committees Association. The Ala-vor presided. The address was given by Mr w. Thomas (Hector of the Timaru Boys High School), who spoke eloquently of the life and work of the deceased statesman, whose unselfish and successful labours in the service of New Zealand and Die Empire, lie said should he :iii inspiration lo them all.

MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE. WELLINGTON. May l:$. Lord Liverpool sends ihe following ~,,-.-age : To the Government and ihe people of New Zealand, the deepest sympathy of Lady Liverpool and mys'elf. and especially to Mr- Ma-.-oy in her hour of need. De-pile unfavourable weather conditions. fifteen hundred attended the Ma-s-v memorial service til Ihe Opera Douse, and similar functions were held I |ir. ughoiil tin- louiiln districts, tindav being oh-erved as a close holiday. AUCKLAND. May M. \ memorial service, a- a combined tribute to Ihe late Prime Alinister, held in Ihe I'nwn Hail this afternoon, com imvrdlv with the luneral of tin 1 dead statesman in Wellington, was. a most impressive one. The large, hall was well Idled same time prior to Liie enmilifHCelUeHl of file proceedillggs, ha gathering being representative oi all classes of the community, and all shade- of political thought. .Most of those, preseni were in mourning, and

there wen- mimei'oiis manifestations of universal sorrow. Ihe .-.alcmnily ol the occasion was evidently fell by ihe huge congregation, there being a tense atmosphere reminiscent of that experienced on such memorable occasions as An/.tie Day ceremonies. .Minister ol all denominations took pan in the sen ice. and also an outdoor service at Albert Park. Services were also held in mo.-t churches, and ten minutes’ silence at one o'clock wa.- solemnly observed. BUN IT'D IN. Alay It. Memorial services for Mr Ala.-sey were held at leading ehiileTfe.- to-day. and were largely attended, and * '•>- ipicnt tributes were paid the dead statesman. .Flags Were flown halfmast throughout the city, and business was at a standstill during the alternoon. At 1 p.m.. train and rail traffic ceased for Id minutes in accordance with K'r F. Hell’s request, hut it was iu.ud impossible lo malic this oh-ev -'acc' generally etfective. I lie lay was Cm: and overcast, with showers in the a itcrnoon.

GREYMOUTU. Alay 10. Greymouth fittingly observed the last solemn rites that were being carried out in Wellington yesterday. -YU business houses were closed, public and private offices recognised the solemn Occasion by closing their doors for tlm day. and public houses closed for two hours fro 111 one to three p.m. He. Minds were drawn in all public office.- ru'd in many private houses. No pictures!- were shown at the Opera House last night. Church hells and fire hells tolled solemn peals from o’clock until 2.30. which added eon-id-erablv to the solemnity of the occasion.

The memorial service which was held „ tho Opera House was tlm people's.

tribute to the departed statesman. Hie building was packed, all creeds and denominations being represented. AT THE GII.YY'E. WELLINGTON. May IT. A temporary pyramidal cover has been erected over the gunpit where Air Massey’s coffin lies, and this is so arranged as to enable the wreaths which could not be taken to tho graveside yesterday to be displayed. A guard will lie stationed there during the next few days and it is anticipated there will lie a large iiitlux of visitors .n the week-end.

FURTHER PARTICULAR'S. THE MAORI FAREWELL. WELLINGTON. Alay FT The arrangements oi yesterday > funeral passed oil hilchless throughmil.. despite the length of the procession, which included about three hundred motor-ears and eight large lorries laden with floral tributes, and a great amount of organisation was needed to handle tho traffic and the allocation of the cars to respect the interests represented, especially in view of the heavy rain immediately preceding the start, it, i- estimated that fully seventy thousand people, viewed the profession on the wav to Point I lalswell. It certainly seemed as il three-quarters of Wellington's population were in the streets. All were most reverent in mien and there was an entire absence of any untoward incident. Ambulances were placed at Intervals along the route lull their services were fortunately not required. The Maori farewell ceremony gjl Parliament Buildings prior to the beginning of the Pakehit rites was generally conceded by those privileged in be ji reselli to be the most impressive part of the whole- proceedings. The wonderful eloquence clothed ill beautiful words of the unlive poetic mi ml. throwing all tho white man's actions into III!' shade of cold formality by contrast. The chiefs breathed love and reverence for the White Chief gone to his rest, and thankfulness for the benefits the native race lias reaped through his labours.