FATHER OF TEN

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1931, Page 7

FATHER OF TEN

J. A. LYONS, mr< ■' '(By Thomas in the Sydney Telegraph). ;If J. A. Lyons /becomes Prime Minister as the result of Decembe) 0.9, he AviU be tbs .first (and maybe the last) Tasmanian to hold the position, Australia has had Prime Ministers born in Chile (Watson), Wales (Hughes). Scotland (Fisher and Reid), and England (Cook). The others have all been from N.S.W. or Victoria, except that Sir John Forrest (W.A.) was acting Prime Minister for three months in 1907. Like Mr Parker Moloney, Minister for Markets, and Mr Hughes, Mr Lyons began life ay a teacher. Teaching is good training for politics. The teacher needs to speak fluently and with authority ; he has to know something about most things. After teaching for some time, young Lyons entered the Teachers' Training College to equip himself t better. There he met Miss Enid Burreil. In due time they married, and have lived happily ever after, WHY, OF COURSE! Mr Lyons is said to have “bought out” his wi £e —but do not be misled into thinking that 'the picturesque custom of bride purchase survives amongst these isolated islanders. When Mrs Lyons entered the Training College she agreed to servo the State as a toucher for five years after completing her training, and to forfeit a sum if she gave up teaching before the end of that period. She did give it up to marry; hence the “buying out.’ After teaching for a while longer, Mr Lyons entered the Tasmanian House of Assembly as a Labour member, and became a kind of perpetual Premier ol the island. Tasmanians who had gone abroad and grown used to the chops and changes of mainland State politics used to return at long intervals and ask hopefully : “Who’s Premier now?” The inhabitants, surprised 'at so neediless a question, would reply: Mhy, Joe Lyons, of course.” Politics are mostly tepid in Tasmania, and most of the citizens, whatever their shade of opinion, reckoned that they knew a good Premier when they had

Finally, Mr-Lyons went into tile Federal Parliament and became Postmastergeneral, and later Acting-Treasurer, in the first, and part of the second, Scullin Ministry. How he made an amazing success, in the face of great odds, of the £23,000,000 loan, and how lie stood up to his job during Mr Scull in’s visit to London, is a matter of recent history. Oil his return from London Mr Scullin fell into the arms—or was it hands ?—of Mi 1 Theodore, and' the Ministry had' ho longer a place for Mr Lyons. So lie becilrtte leader of the tThited Australia Party. Mr and Mrs Lyons have n funiily of ten, They once thought of making their homie in Melbourne, but lusiuania is better for the youngsters.