Prominent Labour M.P.s Painted

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30419, 18 April 1964, Page 14

Prominent Labour M.P.s Painted

Portraits of prominent Labour movement personalities which now hang in the Labour Party’s new hall in Lincoln road were all painted by an artist from the National Publicity Studios in Wellington. She used other paintings and photographs for models.

The paintings were proposed by Mr M. A. Connelly, member of Parliament for Riccarton. He presented the first painting to the hall, that of Mr H. E. Holland, first leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party and a member of Parliament from 1918 to 1933. The original portrait hangs in the Labour Party

caucus room at Parliament Buildings. The portrait of Mr M. J. Savage, the first Labour Prime Minister, was presented .by the Canterbury Hotel Workers’ Union, which owns the original painting. It was painted by W. Field, in 1940, just before Mr Savage died. The portrait of Mr Peter Fraser was presented by the Federated Seamen’s Union. Mr Fraser was the second Labour Prime Minister, from 1940 to 1949. His picture was based on a photograph.

The New Zealand Workers’ Union presented the portrait of Mr Walter Nash, the third

Labour Prime Minister (195760). He has been a member of Parliament since 1929. The portrait of Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, the present Leader of the Opposition, was presented by the Canterbury district council of the Federation of Labour. First Woman M.P. The Upper Riccarton women’s branch of the Labour Party presented a portrait of the late Elizabeth McCombs, New Zealand’s first woman member of Parliament. Her husband, Mr J. McCombs, had preceded her in the Lyttelton seat, and after her term from 1933-35 she was followed by her son, Mr T. H. Mc-

Combs, who became a Labour Minister of Education. A portrait of Angus McLagan, the first Labour member of Parliament for Riccarton (1946-56) and a leader of the miners, was presented by the United Mine Workers’ Federation of New Zealand. Mr McLagan was the first president of the Federation of Labour, and during his term he was Minister of Labour, Mines and National Service among ; other portfolios. Also in the new hall is a 9ft x 3ft mural painted by Mr P. J. Cutler. It depicts the evolution of man—particularly man as a worker—and the rise of democracy.