LATE SIR JOSEPH WARD

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1930, Page 2

LATE SIR JOSEPH WARD

INVERCARGILL, July 13

Sir -Joseph Ward sleeps where he would .have chosen, beside his beloved ones, iii the picturesque little cemetery on the Bluff Hill. He was buried tins •afternoon with lull injiltary honours in the presence of the greatest and loveliest in the land. All Saturday Ids body, lay in state before the Altar of St. Mary’s Basilica, where many hundreds came silently and revently to do him homage.

On Sunday morning, the Bishop of Dunedin, his Ministers, and people, offered their prayers for the repose of his soul in the majestic ceremonial of the Roman Catholic Church. This afternoon he fared forth to his : last resting place on Bluff Hill. As his body was lowered into the grave, the low, descending sun caused every colour to come Into the sea and the skv, until it seemed that the hillside must ever be bathed in the glory of bun. who lav buried there.

Thousands of mourners thronging the streets of Invercargill and the Bluff, 1 and watching the last sad rites, testified to the affection and esteem in which the dead leader was held, and made it impos: ,’ble not to realise that thought he has passed away, his name will ever, stand in the Fontfront of immortals of New Zealand’s story.

LAST RITES OF RELIGION. Never lias there been a more impressive service in Invercargill than that in the. Basilica tliis morning, when with all the deep significance of the Roman Cathode Church, Solemn Pontiiiciai Requiem High Mass was celejiat'ed for Sir Joseph Ward. The Governor-General was represented by Sir John Hanliam.

THE DISTINGUISHED ASSEMBLAGE,

The Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, the Members of the Cabinet; the Leaders of the Opposition (Mr Coates) and of the Labour Party (Mr Holland), the Members Of Parliament; and the representatives of the local bodies were present'

In n reverent hush, the proceedings commenced of the serv.ee, All eyes turned towards the casket, which lay before the Altar, and. -around which candles burnt steadily. Many of In the congregation were devoutly kneeling, and offering their prayers for the soul of him who lay in his coffin before them.

The Bishop of Dunedin, Right Rev. Dr Whyte, was the celebrant, of the Mass, and lie delivered the Panegyric.

HUGE CROWD GATHERS

Long before, midday, the residents from the country districts commenced to arrive in Invercargill, the main roads carrying a constant stream oi people, anxious to pay theri last tribute- to the great man, who, from humble beginnings, in the most southernlv province of his adopted country, had risen to tin; greatest heights or statesmanship,’ -.;i

The presence of the final obsequies of such a huge crowd of people.; -re-: presenting all interests and the community, was an eloquent,testimony to the high sense of esteem vnnd gratitude held by everyone. Their attendance was a public acknowledgement of the great benefits . which their ...departed chief had conferred upon his people by his political efforts, and anindication that by very many, spread wid°ly through the country, lie was regarded as a close friend I '. So it was that those who gathered to pay homage to the great Statesman numbered many who reckoned In’s personal work greater than liis political achievement, and, on the ooons.'on of his funeral, felt it their duty to give a final tribute to his memory.

Tt was a reverently-assembled crowd which felt too deeply the national loss in the death of this outstanding personality, to lie merely curious to witness the pomp and ceremony following on his passing. It was most fitting, that he should find tl\‘s resting place surrounded by his people, overlooking the port of Bluff, where lie first trod' New Zealand soil, and where he lived the greater part of bis life. The district which nourished and fostered him in those earlier aciivities wlFeh led to higher tlvngs, bad claimed its most famous son.

VAST ASSEMBLAGES. Although two large trains, which loft for the port before the procession through the city commenced, had Veen packed and hundreds of ears had already left Invercargill, the entire route from the Basilica to the station was crowded with a dense throng of people, which had commenced to form up a, considerable time before the rortage left the. churh. At both the Basilica and the Bail wav Station the

FUNERAL OBSEQUIES

A GREAT TRIBUTE

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

numbers were the greatest, and at either terminal there must have been several thousands gathered.

THE PROCESSION

A .softly-tolling hell, ringing al short intends at the Convent fieri chthe Basilica heralded the departure of the cortage for the station.

’A parade of returned soldiers form <>d the Guard of Honour from tin portals of the church to the hearse. Heads were bared at the appearaiie. at the door rf the church of the c sket. The Prime Minister and his eoliea lies who Hotel as pall-bearers, walked Inside the coffin, winch was followed by Opt ain Sir John HanhatU Bart., Wlm represented the Governor-General. Then there came Sir Cyril nlul Laclv Ward: Mr and Mrs Gladstone Ward ■ Mr Awarun Pat Ward; Messrs Joseph G. Ward and Cyril J. Ward (sons of Sir Cyvl Ward); Mr C. A. Tipping. u iss Kathleen Tipping, Miss Eileen Tipping; Mr Walter Henderson. Miss 1 elu Henderson, Sir Francis and Lady Bovs, and Mr lan Boys

The procession, leaving tlm Basilica, was led by tbe Civic Band and an escort of Returned Soldiers. Upon its arrival at the nf.ilway station, the casket was tenderly removed to the mortuary van, and was conveyed to tbe little town of Bluff, which had witnessed the triumphs that had been Sir Joseph Ward’s. Along the route, at each station, there were crowds of mourners, who bared their beards in tribute as the train passed. At more distant spots, isolated groups had assembled. but everywhere there was apparent their profound sorrow.

No pen picture could do justice to the account of the return of his body, to tbe soil of Bluff whence the zeal, courage and vaulting faith of S-ir Joseph had so many years ago spurred him on to great endeavours. The main street and precincts of iJie fetation there ~ *cre thronged as t#ie train steamed quietly in.

MAORI LAMENTATION. As the cashed was brought forth to the stntion platform, a woman’s voice was raised in opening cries of a tuiiffi. A wail was heard, and a compact body of Maoris appropriately garlanded with thecf.r heads bowed came. Close by, two chieftans of the Ngahuipapa Tribe broke into plaintive laments, in which their companions joined in a resounding chant, the voices rising and falling in wide cadences. The pathos and poetic force of the lament left an impression which will prove indelible to the minds of the listeners. Subsiding into respectful silence, again the Maoris formed up in line, and followed the casket to the cemetery.

THE LAST JOURNEY, The casket was placed on a gun carriage, and the last solemn journey was commenced, the entire route to tin- cemetery being lined w.ith spectators. The majestic pillars of Bluff granite in the vicinity of the cemetery were points of vantage from which many people watched the ceremony. At the gates of the cemetery the cortage was met by a clerical procession of acolytes, and clergy, and the Bishop of Dunedin. The casket was remuved from the gun carriage, and was carried to the graveside by residents of the Bluff, who had been personal friends of the late statesman, the cortege passing between the Guard of Honour. LAST RITES. At the grave the solemn funeral rites were performed by the Bishop of Dunedin, and the casket was lowered into the grave. A firing party fired three volleys, and the plaintive notes of “The Last Post” rang out, followed by the “Reveille.”

A quartette of pipers played “The Flowers of the Forest.” PILE OF WREATHS. The military escort then filed past the grave, depositing the huge number of floral tributes ,wl *ch had been received, and soon they were piled on the grave. Tlie family has received a message of sympathy from Sir Charles Fergusson, 'ex-Governor-General.

LORD BLED I SLOE’S COMMENT. CHRISTCHURCH, July 11. Visiting Lincoln College, the Gov-ernor-General yesterday referred to the career of the late Sir Joseph Ward as being a guiding star for the younger men of the country.