PATRICK CHARLES WEBB

Radio Record, 12 June 1936, Page 6

PATRICK CHARLES WEBB

-Inscrutable Specially Written for the

"Radio Record"

by

CLYDE

CARR

, MP.

Why, he’s the most ingenuous of mortals." You may be right. Myself, I am inclined to regard that engaging simplicity, that captivating blandness of his as but the sheen of a sun-made pavement on the deep seas. "But," you insist, "I know him so well." Do you, indeed? You may be right. Actually, of course, we know nobody really well, not even ourselves. There are always unsuspected depths... and heights. "But Paddy ..+ 2" Yes, Paddy indeed, only more so. 66 W wis. you say, "inscrutable. ... Paddy Webb? Perhaps one prejudges him. Perhaps one is prejudiced, shall I -say, in his favour? Yes, favourably to this extent and more, that one is inclined to place a bachelor always on a pedestal, and that, strange as it may appear, out of sheer envy rather than admiration. Not that the happily married man would be single again, even in prospect of a possible Muhammadan heaven, or a yet more desirable Nirvana of sweet and eternal forgetfulness, As someone has written of married life, "All other pleasure is mot worth its pain." It is because the truly really happily married know that life only began for them at the altar, that they regard the bachelor, and particularly the obviously contented and happy bachelor, as a superman, no less, who is able, by dint of rare qualities of heart and head, to derive satisfaction from such an arid waste of empty existence. I do not suppose that the proportion of bachelors is higher in Parliament than out of it. Yet there might be some explanation, and eyen excuse, to offer if it were so.-. Yor there are many preoccupations. Doubt it as you will, the life is a busy one. Again, even the married man, if he lives at a distance, is robbed of much domestic bliss in any case. The single man, on the other hand, can scarcely miss what he has never known. .One could understand the position in Paddy’s case so much better if he. were an anchorite. But he is no woman-hater, as many can tell. Being wise with the wisdom of the sages, the wisest of them, anyway, he has doubtless proved that platonic friendships are the sweetest in the world, the richest, the most stimulating, the most enduring, if not the most satisfying. Ah, there's the rib. Poor, dear old Paddy, we must leave it at that.’ Inscrutable? Yes, if for this reason

alone. ‘ We and he can afford to ‘ignore the fact that Paddy Webb was once to many, and still is to a decreasing few, the bcte noir of their existence, a sort of bogeyman to frighten quite big children in the full light of day. That

has passed, or is rapidly passing. Hven before the spacious days of Labour’s rule in this country, with all their justification of the saying, "Nothing succeeds like success" ; even With a growing realisation of the truth that nothing is so popular as popularity, the popularity of Paddy is a thing to marvel at. Many of his newer friends refuse to believe that he is the same Paddy Webb who went to jail in 1918 as a conscientious objector. To some even of them it may have provided increased satisfaction that that other Paddy was disfranchised for ten years, all in the sacred name of "lorunorder." Whether the man of to-day is, or is not, the man of yesterday-and, of course, he never is quite the same-this particular man of to-day is probably one of the most acceptable and sought-after personages in our public life. And as a public man, take it from me, he has facile opportunities of doing far more than hang on to the gilt edges of ornate society. The communist warns his comrade of the dangers of fraternising with the enemy. To the Labour man, and especially the Labour Minister in New Zealand now, everybody, however erstwhile unapproachable, inaccessible, is "your very good friend and supporter, sir." To go back a little, Mr. Webb was one of the early band of Labour men in the New Zealand Parliament. He was member for Grey in 1913, re-elected in 1914, resigned . in 1917, and was re-elected unopposed. Then, when he declined to take the uniform his seat was declared vacant in 1918, and won by the late Harry Holland. During the period of Mr. Webb’s disfranchisement, he was by no means © idle. The Labour movement has always had in him a sound . propagandist and solid backer, Hig enforced political re- ‘ tirement, moreover, set him free for ‘business pursuits whose profitableness testified to his commercial and industrial abilities, After being a2 member of Mr,.-Semple’s famous tunnelling party at Orongorongo from 1921 to 1924. he set up in business in Christchurch as a coal merchant, being manager and partner with Mr. G. R. Hunter (now the Hon, Mr, Hunter) in the city depot of the Point Blizabeth Co-opera-tive Coal Company. On his acceptance of the portfolio of Mines, the Hon, Mr. Webb resigned from business. He retains an interest, however, in sport, and particularly the course, where his colours are stil] prominent and popular. Here his late business partner and himself retain a community of interest. ; : At the by-election for Motueka in 1932, rendered necessary by the lamented and tragic death of George Black, Mr. Webb was narrowly defeated, largely owing to the splitting of the vote by the late "Roddy" McKenzie, who had © been, you remember, Minister of Public Works under : ' Seddon. It was a memorable contest

in many ways, particularly in the nimber of big guns employed in support of the Coalition candidate, Mr, Holyoake, who still retains the seat. => Another even more deplorable joss by death, that of Harry Holland, in (Continued on page 18.) |

Next week’s character sketch of New Zealand political person-

alities will be of

Mr_

J. A.

Lee

Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Patrick Charles Webb (Continued from page 6.) _ 1933, led to another by-election, and on this occasion Mr. Webb was successful. Paddy rightly regards it as a great honour and privilege to represent the Bulle seat, so long and ably served by that noble leader who died as he had lived, before his time.