PRIME MINISTER’S BIRTHDAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3936, 30 April 1929, Page 4

PRIME MINISTER’S BIRTHDAY.

SEVENTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY. LONG CAREER IN POLITICS. iSir Joseph Ward celebrated on • Friday last his 73rd birthday. In .himself, Sir Joseph is a living example of the opportunities for service offered by New Zealand to her sons. Sir Joseph Ward was a very small boy when he. was brought to Southland by his parents from Victoria, and it was when he was still in comparative boyhood that | he displayed gifts that were to be crowned later by his return to office 1 as Prime Minister, the highest gift ,in the hands of the people. One (might look askance at the person who nowadays pointed to a youthful telegraph messenger and said, “There goes the future Prime Mi'nister.” But it Was as a humble deliverer of telegrajms, then rare i enough to be a great novelty and to give prestige to the recipient, that Sir Joseph started his business life. His equipment for the struggle comprised a primary school education and a brain that 'could rapidly absorb knowledge, (analyse it and make good use of all the best that came to' him in that 1 exacting college, the school of ex--1 periehee. LOCAL BODY ACTIVITIES. From the telegraph sendee, Sir ijoseph went into a merchant’s of;’fice and then to the Railway Department, leaving this later to enter the grain trade, in which he built an extensive enterprise. 'His /first public service was as a member of the Oapipbelltown Borough (Council at the age of 21. Then he beeaime Mayor of the borough, .and he was also put at the beau of other local bodies in the district. 'There are those in Southland who 'still remember the young councillor. It was when be entered the wider sphere of national politics (that he quickly focussed the attention of New Zealand upon himself. ENTRY INTO POLITICS.

Foui’ years after he was elected •to the House of Representatives in 1887, Mr. John Ballance appointed him Postmaster-General, the first 'of many portfolios he was to hold 'during his political career. From a ’strong figure in the regime of Bal- , lance, Sir Joseph became Mr. Richard Seddon’s first lieutenant, and lie took over the reins of Government shortly after the death of his chief in 1906. He held office until 1912, when he handed over to Sir {Thomas . McKenzie, who in turn gave way to Mr. Massey when the ilong Liberal regime begun with Ballance came to an end. He was in office again as a member of the National Government during the war years, and at the dissolving of the pact, he resumed his status as {the Leader of "the Opposition. The election of 191/9 saw his exit from Parliament for a brief period, and when he returned it was as a pri- . vate member. ’ Authority came his 1 way again when he assumed, the 'leadership of .the United Party prior to the last election, and then came his re-elevation to the office of Prime Minister on the resignation of the Reform Government in Dei eember. SOCIAL LEGISLATION. To catalogue the many outstanding events in Sir Joseph’s political 'life would bet to give an inadequate and, in somo respects, an inaccurate appreciation of what he has achieved. .Suffice it to say at this juncture that his career has been (marked by that intense Imperialism wliiih is counted a hall-mark iu 'New, Zealand polities. His name is ( associated with much of that beneficent social legislation which put New Zealand in the van of such developments throughout the world. The penny post, the State Advances Office, the old age pensions, the -public service classification and superannuation schemes are prominent among other legislative .memorials of his activities.

(Sir Joseph was knighted in 1901 during the visit of the present King and Queen, the honour being chiefly in recognition of his worik in bringing about the penny postal service. He was made a baronet in 1911. Uady Ward died two years Ago.