Veteran Politician, Mr C. L. Carr, Dies

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 14

Veteran Politician, Mr C. L. Carr, Dies

Mr Clyde Leonard Carr, Labour member of Parliament for Timaru for 34 years until his retirement in May this year, died in Christchurch yesterday. He was 76. Mr Carr entered the House of Representatives in 1928, only two years after the “Father of the House,” Mr fi. G. R. Mason.

Mr Carr resigned from politics for health reasons. Since his retirement he has been writing his memoirs, several chapters of which have been published in a New Zealand Labour monthly “Statesman.” Mr Carr ms bom in Auckland and educated at Nelson College and at Canterbury, Auckland and Victoria University Colleges. In 1925 he won the Macmillan-Brown Prize.

For five years, before being ordained a Congregational minister In Christchurch in 1915. Mr Carr was employed in banking and commercial businesses. He served as a minister in Fiji. Auckland Wellington, and Christchurch He was chairman of the Auckland and Canterbury districts of the Congregational Union.

Between 1924-25 Mr Carr became editorial assistant for Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd . and a year later editor for Andrews, Baty and Company, L*d. While in Christchurch he was a member of the City Council. He served as ehairman on the reserves, abattoirs, markets. cemeteries. libraries and milk committees of the City Council. He was also a member of the North Canterbury Hospital Board from 1923 to 1928 Mr Carr was first elected as Labour member of Parliament for Timaru in 1928, when he defeated the then Attorney-General (Mr F. J Rolleston). He was returned at each subsequent General Election. He was a member of the Parliamentary Recess Committee on Education, responsible for the Atmore report, from 1929-1930. In 1937 Mr Carr was elected president of the New Zealand Labour Party In the same year and until 1949 he was a member of the Canterbury University College Council, and from 1945 until 1950 he served on the Lincoln College board of governors. Between 1946 and 1950 Mr Carr was also chairman of committees and deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Between 1935 and 1949 he was chairman of the Parliamentary Education Committee. During World War II he spent one year and a half on home service. Mr Carr wrote articles and poetry for many New Zealand and overseas journals. His publications include:

“The Everest of the Spirit,” a New Zealand ode, “Aotearoa,” “Politicalities,” and “Poems.”

Colleagues* Tribute The acting Prime Minister. Mr Hanan, said Mr Carr would be remembered as one of New Zealand’s noted Parliamentarians. “I got to know him very well during the years I have been in Parliament,” Mr Hanan said. “He was absolutely fearless in advocating

what he thought was right. His command of English was. I am sure the envy of all his Parliamentary colleagues.” The deputy leader of the Opposition, Mr Hackett, said Mr Carr had striven for the primary good of New Zealand and his constituents. “He proved himself a loyal and able comrade, and in his long service Mr Carr performed his duties most ably indeed We are grieved to learn of his death, as we had hoped he would live many years to enjoy his wellearned retirement,” said Mr Hackett.