GREAT BENEFACTOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 182, 3 August 1929, Page 9

GREAT BENEFACTOR.

Mr. Berhnard Baron, Tobacco Magnate, Dead. REMARKABLE GENEROSITY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, August 2. The late Mr. Berhnard Baron, tobacco magnate, who died last night, is spoken of as one of the greatest philanthropists of the century. It is estimated that during his life he devoted well oyer £750,000 to hospitals alone, and, that, in all, charities have benefited by his generosity to the extent of about £2,000,000. Mr. Baron was 78 years of age. He was born at Brest-Litovsk, in Russia, of Jewish parentage, and at the age of 10 he emigrated to America, where he started work in a tobacco: factory. Cigarettes were just coming into vogue and he proceeded to make.them by hand and sell them to the university students. The demand grew and ~ Mr. Baron found himself unable to meet it, so he set to work to invent a machine whereby cigarettes could be made rapidly and efficiently. His business grew and it was with this machine, out of which he made £120,000.'that lie came to England. He bought the tobacco business of Carreras for £150,000 and developed it, which is one of the greatest romances of modern commerce. He became a naturalised .Englishman.. Mr. Baron's kindness and consideration towards all his employees was remarkable, and he was .. regarded by them with real affection. He had strong sympathies with the Labour movement and had contributed a considerable sum to its funds.

Mr. Berhnard Baron, a Russian Jew, and head of Messrs. Carreras, : tobacco manufacturers, was born in 1850. He started as a cigar, ette-.maker in , America at 16/ a i week, and eventually, invented a machine which revolutionised the making of cigarettes. He»became a naturalised Englishman, and' sold his invention for £120,000. and bought the tobacco business of Carreras for £ 150,000. Throughout the whole of his life Mr. Baron had intense satisfaction in donating to charities, and he made no distinction between Jews and Christians in this respect; Altogether Mr. Bar oil donated over £1,000,000 to various causes and movements, orphans and crippled children being his especial care. Mr. ..on Baron was said to Mr. B. Baron. ] lave stated that he wished to die poor, and that he had no use for money except to give it away. Mr. Baron, who was not a sporting man, and did not care for society, was a member of the Labour party, and a personal friend of Messrs'-. MacDonald. J. R. Clynes, Arthur Henderson, and J. H. Thomas. He was a philanthropist in the fidl sense of the word; and gave to all and sundry causes that he considered deserving, very often remaining anonymous.