MATH OF MRS E. R. McCOMBS

NOTABLE PUBLIC CAREER FIRST WOMAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WORK FOR LOCAL BODIES ' The death occurred early this morning in the Christchurch Hospital of Mrs Elizabeth Reid McCombs, M.P., after a long illness. Long before Mrs McCombs won the notable distinction of being the first woman member to enter the New Zealand Parliament, she was widely known as a progressive woman politician and a noted leader in the New Zealand Labour party. Mrs McCombs had a very distinguished career of public service in local politics before she entered Parliament She was born at Kaiapoi, arid was the youngest daughter of Mr Daniel Henderson. She was educated at the West Christchurch School and the Christchurch Girls' High School. She showed her flair for organisation and social welfare work at an early age, taking up the position of- secretary to the Children's Aid Society.

Later she became interested ;°,n , the Women's Christian Tempesrance Union, but her position with the Children's Aid Society was held until her marriage to Mr J. McCombs in 1903. One of her first important political activities was in association with the old Canterbury Progressive Liberal Association, one of the organisations which, about 30 years ago. was active in fostering the old Sediionian Liberal policy. Mrs McCombs was a member of the executive of this organisation, and her association with it probably encouraged the liberal outlook which was part of her notable political success. Work on Council From this former Liberal association it was almost natural that when Mrs McCombs cam to take an even more active part in politics she should find her career with Labour. She was a successful candidate for the Christchurch City Council in 1921, and it ' was not until the present year, when , ill-heaith and the stress of other duties prevented her from standing again, that ; she had to relinquish this connexion ; with municipal affairs. But her long period as a city councillor was par- J ticularly notable for the exceptional services she gave the city as chair- j woman of the electricity committee. There her great administrative ability 1 proved itself, and her efforts were un- 1 tiring towards reducing the cost of < electricity to the private con- ] surner in the city and to com- i mercial users. Puring the recent 1 municipal election all parties joined j more than once in paying striking | tributes to the able way in which she t had managed the principal affairs of j the electricity committee. Mrs Mc- 1 Combs held the position of chairwoman 1 of the committee from 1927 until she ] relinquished her position as a coun- 1 cillor On Hospital Board In 1921 Mrs McCombs also entered another useful period of public service when she was elected *o the ! North Canterbury Hospital Board as ■ one of the city's representatives. She ! held her seat there for many years and gave the board and the city valu- ' able service. She had another civic ' distinction when she was elected to | the Christchurch Tramway Board in ; 1927, and was the first and only woman ] elected to the board; in the election : in 1930 she was re-elected as the mem- 1 ber for the Sumner-Woplston-Cash- j mere Hills sub-district. In much of her j work Mrs McCombs was able to be associated closely with her husband. 1 She became a member of several smaller local bodies and was a member of the Christchurch Domains Board. In all her work for local bodies and other organisations Mrs McCombs showed a deep interest in the welfare of women and children and she had a high conception !of the rights and duties of women as citizens. Elected to Parliament Mrs McCombs crowned her political career, when she was elected to re-' present the Lyttelton constituency in the by-election of September, 1933. Her win was looked on as a nptable victory ftot only for her party but for the women of the country. Mrs McCombs had contested seats in previous general elections. In 1928 she stocd for Kaiapoi and was defeated by Mr R. W. Hawke in a three-cornered contest; at the next general election she stood again and was defeated by Mr H. Holland in the election for Christchurch North, in which Mr L. C. Walker was also a candidate. But when, in 1933, her husband died, after he had held the Lyttelton seat for 20 years, she was nominated by the Labour party as its candidate in the subsequent by-election and after an exciting campaign was elected member for Lyttelton and the first woman member of the New Zealand Parliament. Her majority over Mr F. W. Freeman and Mr E. L. Hills was 2600. In recent months the health of Mrs McCombs had been causing serious concern. She was forced to secure leave of absence from meetings of the Christchurch City Council and was absent during the last session of Parliament. She leaves two children: Mr T. H. McCombs, M.Sc., and Miss Patricia McCombs.