JOHN BURNS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7948, 25 January 1906, Page 7

JOHN BURNS.

Of all the members of tbe newlyformed Liberal Administration in Great Britain none will be watched with greater interest than Mr John Barns, President of the Looal Government Board. He was eleoted by the Battersea workers to the House of Commons, in 1892, and quickly won his way to the front, even in that intensely Conservative body. He is a moat effective debater, has a powerful voice and ready command of language. His occupation was that of an engineer, and in his younger days he worked as foremau-eiigineer in a steamer on the Niger. It was whilst employed in that capaoity that" he aoquired, and was generally known by the nickname of "Coffee-pot Burns," because of his Hxed teetotal principles, and his objeotion, as Mr Justin M'Oartby puts it, "to the use of any more flary liquid than that which oame from the harmless ooffee pot." The savings thus aoquired were spent by him in a tour of Continental Europe. Unlike many other men gifted with an eloquent tongue and strong convictions, John Burns never makes an unnecessary display of his powers. When he has something to say which bears direotly on tbe subjeob under debate, he speaks. Tbe House thoroughly understands this, and always listens to bim with friendly attention. He proves himself a valuable contributor to all discussions which bring up the claims of the working classes, and has lately been on a tour of the United states, studying tbe labour conditions in tnat great country. As illustrative of the man and his pluck the following incident is worth recording. Whilst Burns was on the Niger, be t and his men were returning one day up the Bass River in a small steamer when they stuck in the mud, and lost their propeller. Cannibals were close at hand, and the water was infested with orocodiles. Parkins, a brother engineer, took off bis coat, and wa9 just preparing to jump overboard to resoue the propeller when Burns stopped him. *'No," he said, "you're married, and I'm not, and I'm going." Then next minute be was overboard, and resumed with the loßt propeller, after much groping about in tbe bottom of the river. The salary attaohed to tbe Ministerial office of President of the Local Government •Board is £2OOO a year.