Forty Years a Liberal

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 647, 26 April 1929, Page 2

Forty Years a Liberal

LIFE STORY OF SIR JOSEPH WARD

From Telegraph Messenger to Prime Minister

By R. A. LOUGHNAN (Copyright— Sun feature Service)

ENTERING Parliament in ISS7, Sir Joseph Ward is a veteran among contemporary statesmen and his career is traeed and described in this series of articles by R. A. Loughnan for readers of The Sun. No. XXVIU.

That was Tvhat New Zealand had doner —was, in fact, how she began the move toward universal penny post, lie asked the conference to do likewise, and the conference consented. Sir Joseph had succeeded in setting up a leading landmark in the world's postal history, lie had got “a move on when stagnation reigned supreme. Some concessions were made, and before the conference separated New Zealand was allotted a separate vote, for all conferences of the International Postal Union. After the conference the results began iu the shape of various agreements toward universal penny post, made by various nations. Of these the most important was the establishment of penny post between Great Britain and the U.S. of America. This was begun on October 1,190 S. The periodical “Philatelist” called it the most important step made toward universal penny postage since the inauguration of internal penny postage by Great Britain under Sir Rowland Hill, the famous Postmaster-General 69 years ago—viz., in 1549. “Universal peunv postage had not arrived,” said that authority, “but practically the Englishspeaking race all over the world now enjoys the boon.” The same writer referred in eulogistic terms to Mr. Henniker Heaton as the chief pioneer of the movement. And well he might, for the labour of that pertinacious pioneer was both long and tremendous. They were not confined to the large literary volume of his propaganda which included insistent voluminous correspondence with the British Government, but extended to ofTers of substantial financial guarantees. At this moment, however, the M.F. for Canterbury did not think of accepting the whole credit for the successful progress so far achieved. He remembered the energetic bold efforts of his friend Sir Joseph Ward ou the fateful October 1,190 S. lie wired his cordial thanks to New Zealand for helping forward the cause of penny postage between Great Britain and the United States of America now coming into force. ” DEATH OF MR. SEDDON When Mr-. Seddon died, Sir Joseph Ward was on his way back to New Zealand from the Postal Conference of Rome of 1906. He had reached New York, where a telegraph message reached him at six one morning informing him of the death of his chief. Needless to say that he was greatly shocked, needless to suppose that he did all in his power to hasten his journey to Wellington. He was, of course, the only possible successor. Not by seniority alone in the Cabinet, but by his multifarious, wide-reaching work in statecraft, universally recognised, and by the qualifications for leadership he had shown during his service as Acting-Premier. It behoved him to hasten, and the comic artists and inveterate gossips of politics of his country made the most of the opportunity with caricatures and tales “on authority” and predictions. While train and steamer were bringing Sir Joseph home at their best usual pace, imaginations pictured him and Mr! Hall-Jones, the senior member of the Cabinet in Wellington, as racing hard for the Premiership, and when the Governor sent for the latter, and he was gazetted at the head of the old Cabinet, certain wags pretended to believe that Mr. Hall-Jones had won the coveted prize, with the intention of holding it for good. FILLING A GAP But there was no need for imagination and no truth in gossip. T he plain fact was that the death of the Prime Minister having put an end constitutionally to the Cabinet, it was necessary at once to supply the Governor with constitutional advisers When the House met on June 27 Pari FEswstfassSg ernment benches. The Now cour!e 8 t e o e “ursue° 1113 l nd 0n t e h at onOUrable Ne r w b z ye^ndGOVl^f-ei-bring him from hi.s , r “ r ’° SSible to steamer or his hotel ■ I? aiTl or bis Governor h7d sent for Y" York ’ obvious d U f "'^eV^he ss, sx..?*;-j to my colleague and be due to be the wish of th whlch 1 believe went on to show how He Pose to do this withe.,* - uas kls Purbarrassing Sir Josenh IP any "ay emthing more than for *7 takin S any“Honourable member™ m Pr ° Ceeding:s ' that even though I y su Sgest colleague the dosi'hPT ? 0 to offer ni V should carry on the i \ occupy, we “ament unHl such ° f Parturned. i have decided as he rewould not be fair to him“ Ch a course •bat any statement of ™' ~e xP l ai ninK part might embarrass ° n his he intimated wasPh ’ and th at would think of loin* St thins be e“«c Woll „ a .

Prime Minister. Mr. Hall-Jones. obtained for him high, unqualified praise from every section of the community, as it did also from every »id G 0 * Parliament. The Prime Minister went on to sar that the session would be very brief He announced the Ministry—the old Cabinet, with Sir Joseph Ward holding his old positions, lie paid a ma?. nitieent tribute to their late chief, Mr Seddon. to which the leader of Opposition, Mr. Massey, made warm addition, and several other speakers followed in the same strain. It u a * a dignified and ixithetic scene. p ar . liament rose, as it always does in such cases, to the occasion, giving world, in the opinion of competent experienced co-operators and friend?' large reason for warm respect lor the memory of the men who have done good, honourable public service m their lives. Supply obtained. Parliament adjourned on June 29. Sir Joseph trrived in Wellington on August 7. jfr Hall-Jones promptly placed his siguation of the Premiership in the Governor’s hands. Sir Joseph Ward was sent for, accepted the offered position, duly formed his Ministry, and met Parliament in October. When that Government was gazetted, it found that two members of ihe old Cabinet —the Hon. C. Mills and the Hon. T. E. Duncan—were not in. eluded in the new, the vacancies bo, ing filled by two new men. the Hon. George Fowlds and the Hon. R. Me. Nab. Tlie portfolios and position? gazetted were: Rt. Hon. Sir. J. G. Wari.—Prim* Mr ~ ter. Colonial Treasurer, Postrrastf'. General, Commissioner of Telegraph Industries and Commerce. The Hon. Hall-Jones.—Railwavs «- } Public Works. The Hon. Sir Jas. Carroll.—Native Mini*, ter and Stamps. The Hon. James M«-Gowan.—Justic* Mines and Immigration. The Hon. Albert Pitt.—Attornev-Oenir*! Colonial Secretary and Defence. The Hon. R. McNab.—Agriculture and Lands. The Hon. George Fowlds.—Education and Health. The new Prime Minister began with honour due to his departed chief. Such great tributes having been recently paid in the House to the great memory, the.re was left to him a simple expression of his regret at the necessity for the change made and his deep grief for the all too early removal of his personal friend and colleague, i loss he shared in common with the whole country which had mourned him so deeply. Nor did he forget the colleagues whose long connection with him had been severed. “In regard to the Hon. C. Mills 1 he said, “I personally, and with every member of my Administration, deeply regret that circumstances, entirely beyond his control, prevented him being appointed to the Ministry. “So also with regard to my old friend and colleague, the Hon. Mr. Duncan, of whom I am sure every member of the House has a very high appreciation. The parting of old friends and colleagues was more painful to me than it was to them, and I can only thank them for their great consideration for me.” It was a disagreeable duty. He did it firmly, and in the doing of it the country sympathised with him. He passed on to speak of the business before the new Government, co:centrating on the need for reasonably early hours of closing each day’s proceedings. None knew better than ha the toll taken by' late hours, and no one knew better the reason of such often quite uncalled-for lateness and quiteas harmful as unnecessary', as his veF shrewd remark on the point showed: “So long,” said he, “as our business is discussed legitimately, early hour* are perfectly feasible. ’ ' That “legi:mately” contained a sharp sting. he made clear by referring to som a notorious abuses of privilege in whicn members have indulged for the ow purpose of motived obstruction; b-: that very objectionable word conspicuous by its absence, and all iha sentences around where it ought to have been were veiled in the langua? 3 of soft politeness. The House toe**: the exhortation to reform —for that what it practically was—with ti‘ smile of good-humoured had, however, a real desire to gi T? support to the young Prime Minister in his arduous task. MR. MASSEY’S GOODWILL This the Leader of the OrP° s^011 ’ Mr. Massey, intimated in the welcoEhe offered. “I wish to congratulate Sir Joseph Ward on the position 15 which he has attained, and I hop*, speaking for the members around that when the new Government mits its policy measures to ment, they' will be such measures as will be likely to conduce to the be - interests of the country, and sucb aS we shall be able to support.” It wa3 very* handsome of Mr. sey. and it gave the new Governntf--a good start. Moreover, as a mat*of- fact, a good many of the measure* thus heralded with goodwill did receive the all-round support of House. In these pages some things cos pleted by Sir Joseph Ward in Premiership have been presented *• full length. These were begun by as a subordinate Minister, and co Pleted iu the period of the Pre&*‘ P ship. This was done in su:b tj 5 * for example, as the penny post and -* Manawatu Railway purchase, so t®** 1 the stories might be given in c ' j. broken fashion. This wa3 fairness to the subject and t® Joseph Ward. A brief review of the placed on the Statute Book dunniU; Joseph Ward s tenure of the Ite' \ ship is interesting—and, to tco ful minds, amazing on several sions. (To be continued daily*J ” t : Copies ot previous edifion*®, j.' SUV containing “The Life Joseph irord” map i>e obtau ± e I ri plication to the Publisher, P.O. Sox 630, Auckland.