PREMIER’S BOYHOOD

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1932, Page 6

PREMIER’S BOYHOOD

HIS FIRST EARNINGS. 1 ' V* • . . SYDNEY, September 30. The Premier of New South Wales, Air Stevens, recently narrated reininiscepc.es of his boyhood days. “The bom© in which 1 spent quite a lot ot my boyhood is on the opposite .side of the street,” said, the Premier,, who was speaking in,the working.class suburb of Glebe. “It is an old twostqrey house, near the fire .station. That was, one qf the reasons which actuated me to be present at this function. The second reason is .that I went to school ,jn this district—at the Forest Lodge School which has earned the great distinction of having turned out half a. dozen international cricketers. .(Cheers). “When 1 was quite a small boy,” proceeded Mr Stevens, amid laughter, “they used to call me ‘Tubby.’ Some peqple still do. But sometimes they used to call me ‘Fatty.’ One day a man at the churc-h asked by mother whether ‘Fatty’ was her boy. .He wanted him to do three days’ work a Week. The job he gave me,. three evenings a week, for which' I was to earn 4s 6d a week, was blowing the' old pipe Organ, while he learned to play it. . For eighteen months I turned that to profit. (Laughter) I becaipe'a, pretty efficient organ player; because’ I ih|pressed him so much that, he taught hie to play' the organ.

’ ‘ ‘Twenty years afterwards I became Director of Finance for NeW South' Wales. One day, when I was .presiding at a conference, at which ~a num-/ her of bank officers were' present, a mah was .shown, representing, one of t’e biggest banks. He came up to,me, and whispered ‘You are not “Fatty” Stevens, are you ?’ ‘Yes’ I replied. It was the .man for whom I blew the Id p : p'3 ; organ and who paid me the first money I ever earned in my. life,, and I saved every penny of it. I was very .proud to. take home a little table which stands in ,the drawing-room of my parents’ ,)iome to-day.” (Cheers).

Air ..Stevens .said that a public man had often ,to deafen his ears to things that people said. He had To'do things, which same people did not understand or were,,misinterpreted. / If. lie courageous and wise he would . go ahead qnd .say, ‘‘No, that is .tJie ; right thing,” and lend it deaf ear to misrepresentation,and noise. But/he hoped his ,ears would never lie,deaf to the constant, appeal on .behalf /of boys .and, .boys’ movements in this country. (Cheers). t - s .1