WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PRIME MINISTER. A REJUVENATED LEADER. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 30. When Sir Joseph Ward emerged from the general election of nearly three months ago with a larger following than had either of the other party leaders, it was feared hv his friends, and expected by his opponents, that his assumption of office would he too great a strain upon his physical strength. Quite a number of his intimate friends, some of them the confidents of forty years or more, had done their best to dissuade him from accepting the leadership of the United Party when it was thrust upon him, as it seemed at the time, with only the remotest chance of lessening the Inform majority. Sir Joseph had passed his seventy-second year; he had beer, out of office for seventeen years ; he had established interests entirely apart from politics and a generation had grown up that never had known the achievements of the party to which lie had been attached, lhe adventure to which lie committed himself certainly seemed a hazardous one. COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE. The warm welcome accorded to the daring veteran in Auckland, on his first appearance on the public platform as the leader of tlie new political party, did much to revive the enthusiasm of the old Liberal stalwarts and to arouse the interest rff the unattached voters. For the greater part of two decades the “ Queen City ” had been in the possession of Reform and La hour. Its electors had scarcely beard of the old evangel of courage and progress which John Uallanoo and Richard Seddon had preached, and which Fir Joseph Ward, a former colleague of these inspiring leaders, made known. Within a week it was recognised that tin' whole aspect of the general election had changed, and that while Reform was shaken, Labour was deft nit-c----iv edinsed. As for the rest the events of the general election of 1928 alreadv are ancient history. Sir Joseph’s own eo'Yano and confidence wore, of course, the chief facto/s in the result; but. they were supported by admirable organisation and unswerving devotion. OF CONSEQUENCE. The 'fact- of .consequence—not merely to the United Party, hut more particularly to the country at large—is that Sir Joseph Ward is going about his business as Prime Minister to-dav even more chocrily. more- methodically, and more thoroughly than he did six teen years ago. In this respect he is substantially assisted by the accommodation that has been provided lor -Ministers of the Crown, and especially for the Prime Minister, since his previous term of office. The Prime Minister’s Department to-day is provided with a suite of luxuriously furnished rooms which would not be unworthy of the Mother of Parliaments, and which are excused hv the fact that their equipment and conveniences must facilitate the work of their occupants. Sir Joseph, himself, prefers a couple of rooms in the remains of tlie old Government- House where lie tan obtain some measure off both official and per sonal privacy: but of course bis innumerable activities require bis regular attendance in tlie Cabinet room and its whereabouts. AT WORK. To see Sir Joseph at work in either of his resorts is to see an able, expert, c r master engrossed in his job. He sits at a wide, well ordered table, with telephones and means of communication at bis elbow. While lie can call other people direct if he wishes to do so, he does not extend a similar facility to those who wish to have speech with him. Calls to tliis busy man must go through another channel and although they receive almost instant attention they have to wait their (urn. Among the precious gifts Sir Joseph possesses is an utter indifference to

noise and a placid temperament which never admits oT flurry. He can read ami write with perfect composure in a babel ol noise and lie never imperils results by a hasty decision. He is accounted liy the members of the Civil Service a hard task master, but lie is regarded as a- just one and that balances the account.