“STATESMAN AND MAN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1019, 9 July 1930, Page 10

“STATESMAN AND MAN”

Appreciations of Sir Joseph

ALL CREEDS PRAISE HIM

APPRECIATIONS of the late Sir Joseph Ward s worth as a citizen, a statesman and a mar, have come from all sections and creeds of the community.

"OF OUTSTANDING ABILITY

A highly attractive personality, j who enjoyed the greatest popularity and esteem of his colleagues in Par- j liament, and a statesman of outstand- ‘ mg ability.” This is the picture that ! Sir Frederic Lang. M.L.C., paints of j the memory of Sir Joseph, with whom j he first became acquainted when the ! latter was a member of the Seddou ■ Government. That association developed into friendship which was ] preserved until Sir Joseph's death. •NEVER BE FORGOTTEN" "Through his death. Xew Zealand has lost one of its best-known sons, ] who has left a mark in the history ; of the Dominion that will never be J forgotten.” Sir Edwin Mitchelson, M.L.C., pays ; this fine tribute to the memory of Sir | Joseph Ward, with whom he became | close friends, a state that existed j until the former Prime Minister’s death. “Sir Joseph was a man of j great ability, a fluent speaker, and an ; ardent Imperialist. One of the great- j est of the many reforms for which | he was responsible was the introduc- I lion of the penny postage.” added Sir > Edwin. “A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE" His life is a wonderful example to young men—to start as a telegraphist, and 30 years later to become Post-master-General and later Prime Minister—it is a proud record for democracy.” This was how M. Paul Serre, French Consul at Auckland, couched his trl- j bute to the former Prime Minister. j The first occasion he came into con- j tact with Sir Joseph Ward, M. Serre ! said, was on the visit to Auckland of the American Governor of Samoa, and then he chatted with Sir Joseph on his trip to Paris, where he had met M. Clemeneeau. Again he met Sir Joseph when he visited Auckland as Prime Minister of the present Government and then found him much younger than he appeared. “Sir Joseph has done his duty to the Empire, to Xew Zealand and to his party, and only relinquished the reins of government because ill-health forced this decision,” he added. MAN OF WIDE VISION T have known Sir Joseph Ward per- j -orially for five years and have shared with the people of New Zealand their high estimation of his world-wide vision of Empire statesmanship,” declared Mr. Walter F. Boyle, United States Consul at Auckland. Mr. Bovle added that Sir Joseph had often spoken to him of his visit to President Roosevelt at the latter's home at Oyster Bay, and in this way the consul said he had always connected the outlook of the two leaders as being closely associated. The occasion of his meeting witlr the dead statesman was at the opening: of the Dunedin Exhibition when he had the pleasure of taking Sir Joseph to the opening ceremony because of the shortage of transport, Mr. Boyle added. A vote of condolence with the relatives of Sir Joseph Ward was passed at the annual meeting of the Council of the Dominion of Xew Zealand Bowling Association, which opened at Auckland this morning. The following message of condolence was forwarded yesterday to the ' family of Sir Joseph Ward bv the ' president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce: 'Members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce wish to express to i yourself and other members of vour: family their deepest sympathy in vour great loss." REQUIEM MASS At 10 o'clock on Friday morning a solemn Requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral Bishop Liston will deliver the address

which he was entirely innocent. He has made a great contribution to the public life of the Dominion and the heroism with which lie fought the illness which, at last, has finished his career, won for him the admiration of everybody.”