Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1925. THE PASSING OF A STATESMAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2882, 12 May 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1925. THE PASSING OF A STATESMAN.

THE death of M r W. !•', Massey, which took place at his residence, Wellington, oil Sunday. removes from the political affairs of New Zealand, and even from that of tin* British Empire, mm of the inu.i tv markable and able figures in the history of our lime. Few Prime Ministers in the world perhaps arc noted for a more romantic rise to fame than the late Mr Massev. Leaving his home in Limavndy, at the age of 14 years, he emigrated to New Zealand, and subsequently took up farming in the Auckland district. In the year ItSO-l. while still following Ids farming pursuit.-, he contested a scat in Parliament lor the eonslit m m-v of Waitemafn. and from that time till the day of his deal'll, lie continued to occupy a place in the New Zealand Parliament. When Sir William Russell resigned the leadership of his parly in 15)1)3. the late Mr Massey accepted that position, and few people then foresaw i I,•; ere another decade would pass the party limn occupying the (>pposii ion in tidies during the Seddon administration would come into its own and hold office for nearly thirteen veals. Mr Massey's adminisiiatioii of the country’.-. affairs unversed the most stirring period o| the nation's his-tory—-the years of the (lira! War. Willi his work during those moving nine.-, the people of New Zealand are familiar, ll was an earnest, concentrated, self-denying effort to merge into one efficient, working nil it' the resources, man-power, finance, and national industry to the successful development of tin Empire's objective in saving- ('lnisfianity and civilisation. Throughout he enjoyed the fullest confidence of the Impel-,-ll Uoveriimeiil. tin* War t'abiiie 1 , and the t.iovtwu meals of the Allied and Associated Powers. It is a fact that with some great men iiitiuuilo persona! knowledge ti-veals that they are -o small alter all. hid il ha.- been frilly said of Mr Ma.s-e\ that he

Jiittl the human touch llml counts for so mudi in life. To llis credit and to his greatness he it said that, when the pinnacle of political sincess was reached, he still retained the gifts of an understanding mind and a sympathetic heart. “To have a i.Yicmi, to lie a friend" i.- a Im - ism. Mr Massey had true friends, because he win a true friend. He i’oiuul in them a never-failing -up ply from which to draw sympathy and counsel. He returned payment in full measure, as many of Ins friends can a! lest. Strong, dependable. umlemoiisi rnrivc. ioyal to old beliefs, and to old ideas, and to ticold religion, home-loving and lioim keeping, a firm friend, and a for giving enemy. Nof otherwise can one explain the extraordinary hold that lie won on the ailed inns of ordinary pimple, apart altog'dlier from politics. Recall him as In was during the critical moments of the. Ureal War. deeply moved, in spite of liis abhorrence of (“motional display, by I lie loss of so many line young lives and by tin- suliering id those who remaimd at home, simple, courageous, earnest, fervently sympathetic, the very figure of the father of the people consoling tin* children and encouraging them to outline. There, surely, was the man himself, justifying abundantly and naturally the expectation, indeed the faith, of llio people in general. His death will he mourned by til! sections of public opinion.