MR SAVAGE’S ILLNESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 August 1939, Page 8

MR SAVAGE’S ILLNESS

STATEMENT IN HOUSE EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY. HOPES OF GOOD RECOVERY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 2. Announcing in the House of Representatives today that the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, had to enter Lewisham Hospital on Thursday morning to undergo an abdominal operation. the Deputy-Leader of the Government. Mr Fraser. observed that the operation on Mr Savage would necessitate a period of treatment and rest. Mr Fraser said he knew the announcement would be received with feelings of sympathy and regret by all members of the House and by the people of the country. He felt sure that everybody would wish the Prime Minister a speedy recovery, enabling him to re-, sume his administrative duties soon. ' “I am familiar with the condition of the Prime Minister during the past fortnight.” Mr Fraser continued, “and I know how he struggled on against odds to discharge the high and responsible duties of his office, and how he has been compelled under medical advice to relinquish his post temporarily. After a period of sickness, and with the knowledge of the imminent necessity for an operation, he considered it his duty to come to the House last evening and personally present the Budget. With the- full knowledge of the circumstances, I can only express my sincere admiration for the man who, from a high sense of public duty and of what he owed to the country at such a critical period, set aside his own personal convenience, comfort and safety.” The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Hamilton) said that members of the Opposition had learned with sincere regret of the Prime Minister’s illness. “I know something of the difficulties of going into hospital for a serious operation,” added Mr Hamilton, “and I desire on behalf of the Opposition to join with the Acting-Leader of the House in expressing the sympathy of the whole House with Mr Savage in what I hope will involve just a temporary absence from his official duties. We hope the Prime Minister will have a speedy recovery and soon be back in the House once more.” OPERATION TOMORROW MR SAVAGE IN EXCELLENT SPIRITS. COMFORTABLY SETTLED AT HOSPITAL. WELLINGTON, This Day. The Prime Minister entered Lewisham Hospital this morning and will be operated upon tomorrow. He was accompanied from his home to the hospital by two of his closest friends, the speaker of the Legislative Council, the Hon. Mark Fagan, and the Minister or Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, the latter leaving his bed to accompany his chief, although an influenza attack has confined him to his home. They reported that Mr Savage was in excellent spirits and comfortably settled at the , hospital. t Mr Savage’s physician is Dr. J. Roberts Boyd and his surgeon, Dr. E. Gor- , don Anderson. It is stated that there , has been no new development in the Prime Minister’s condition for at least f twelve months and the operation is io, 1 remove the cause of the trouble that 1 persistently recurs. J