MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1939, Page 8

MAORI MEMORIES

CHESS FRIENDS. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) Schoolfellows, inveterate chess players, were intimate friends for thirty years. Such were two of New Zealand’s most favourably known public men. ’Twas even said that their mothers had a secret pact that if one was a boy and the other a girl, they should be regarded as betrothed. Both were boys, so the young mothers each named them John. The surname of both began with B, and they were known as J.8.l and J. 8.2. One a successful farmer, the other a brilliant journalist, they played chess six nights a week for ten years. No 1 was slightly the better player, but never was there a tinge of resentment. Politics, or rather statesmanship, came quite naturally to each. No 1 a Conservative. No 2 a Liberal. No 1 a Minister of the Crown, and No 2 in turn a Prime Minister. Each in his day was offered the distinction of "Sir," but both preferred the plain John B.

No 1 as Native Minister ended the disastrous Maori wars, and vindicated his own and New Zealand's good name by securing a verdict of £5.000 damages for libel by a historian. No 2 had a brilliant success as Prime Minister and a journalist. No 1 received a handsomely engrossed testimonial signed by 2.728 leading citizens of the Capital Centre. No 2 has a splendid monument in front of Parliamentary Buildings. Politics severed their life-long friendship, but on the death of No 2 his widow presented his chess set to No I. with tears, saying "John's friendship for you lies in that set which gave so much pleasure to you both."