Message Boy to Chief Magistrate

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 6

Message Boy to Chief Magistrate

WITHOUT an Aberdeen accent and a name like McTavish, you might once have been beyond redemption m the pious confines of Otago. The clan MacD'onald is well rooted m the Scottioh province. Yet even apart from the patronymic hall-mark, the qualities of John MacPonald would Have brought him to the front as a citizen of Dunedm. V. Jack once had a Government job; he was a telegraph boy. He tried to believe the yarn about the rubber stamp of Postmaster-General resting m his satchel. Actually he glimpsed eternity as a hopelesß struggle m the meshes of red tape and handed' back his warrant of appointment. Curious, perhaps, that a youth so eager and alive should have elected the oramped monotony of a tailor's board as a oalling m life. Yet there it was. But every, stitch was a resolution to stretch his long limbs m a wider and more satisfying sphere, every pattern a hint that his own career m life had to be carved.

Early m life he managed to spare time from a budding tailoring business to take a place at the City Counoll board. All the time he meant to become chief magistrate of his city with the least seemly delay. i Mao was well within the vista of fair, oomfortabls and forty when he was solemnly invested with the mayoral chain of office m Dunedm. He nsyer set the Water-of- Leith on fire, but that kind of mayor would have been beyond all preoedent. '

Nevertheless, his energy and young outlook galvanized the staid oity fathers Into some show of interest for the needs of sport; and games. And Mac was also able t6 demonstrate that skill m transforming a roll of tweed into elegant man's apparel might not be altogether disaooiated from a keen perception of building and engineering problems. Some highly-expert municipal big-wigs found themselves up against a surprising acuteness.

He onoe set out to reach Parliament; but disdained a party label. The free railway-pass went to another candidate. A member for many years of the Otago Harbor Board, he hae co-operated m that stubborn and pertinaoious spirit that for 50 years has battled with nature to make Victoria) Channel one of the, world's great waterways. .

As a publlo man ho is known for an unobtrusive, kindly sympathy with the worker and his wife m the daily tasks and troubles of existence. The sort of chap Tie is, m fact, to whom It is natural to gravitate with a hard-luck story op a perplexing problem. • , > ■>