A GLANCE AT HIS CAREER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24, 28 July 1911, Page 3

A GLANCE AT HIS CAREER.

Mr. Taylor 1 wa« born at Kirton, .Lmd* cay, Lincolnshire, England,, in 1862. He arrived at Lyttelton-in 1874, and was educated in the Chrietchurch Pub- ! lie Schools. He started ' his working I life in the employ of Messrs. J* M. Heywood and Company, shipping agents, and was .with this firm for twenty y^ars. He reached the position of manager before ho withdrew to begin business with a partner, Mr. Cole. The firm of Taylor and Cole conducted a general auctioneering, land agency, and commission business. He was ueerttary to the N«w' Zealand Electrical Conatruction Company, which built the Christchureii trajnways. Mf, Taylor was an enthusiastic advocate of the ,11*6 of water power for the generation , of electric tramways, He wa« prominent in the movement for the harnessing of the Waimakanri Wivoi, tot ih« neneltt. of Chri6tchurch and district, but this scheme wae eventually set aside in favour of Lake Coleridge, He wae elected a member of Parliament for three terriis — 1896-9, 1902-5, 1908-11. Last Ar>ril he was elected Mayor of Greater Christchurch. During all this time he was a tireless fighter for the No-Licence Party. During his career as a public man Mr. Taylor retained an interest in th« firm of Taylor and Cole. In iw'i he wak married to a daughter of Mr. R. 15. Ellison, of Christchurch. He leaves a widow, five daughters and a soil (the youngest child). Mr. Taylor's mother aldo survives him. Mrs. T. , E._ Taylor's sister, Mrs. Shepherd, died at Nga-io a few months ago. One of New Zealand's most versatile and most brilliant^ political figures passed fi'otn public life with the death of Mr. Taylor. He wa« three time 3 accepted of the people. and three tintts rejected, and hi* victories and 'defeat* had all a dr.imat.ic setting. Hie first/ attempt to get into the House of Rewrcwntulivefi was at a by-election for it Christchurch seat during February, 1896.' ' At the general : elections in th'c name >«»!* h« *ut> rpUtrn«fi as thf junior menibur. In 1899 Its \*a« van<jul.<hfld, but in 1902— the last y<>av of ttiD .triple city drctoratce-^hft topped We pelf. In 1905 he was again ordered lo letirc* by the rlec'oix. but. for the Mino «e;it, Ohmtcjuirclt Noith, in J903, he 'won easily, Mr. Taylor'* firnt notable, work on llie political stag?* was' in' forcing the fJoverrrnient to sol. up & Royal Oorntn'S«ion in 1097 to t-riquire into the atatu of the police service. Mr, Taylor fail , ed to suljfltantiaite all his chacges, but, he, claimed that the result warranted ht« action in demanding an enquiry. ! The irrepressible Christchurch niemb€r was n vigorous critic of Mr. Seddon. Oi;e of his diffc-rences with Mr. Seddofi' led to the famous Seddon-Taylor libel actions, following an allegation made by Mr. Taylor in reference^ to tho conduct of Captain Seddon during the South African War. Mr. Taylor conducted h)« own cttse at court during the whol* "!' the long and complicated froceos. Mr.

Taylor waa also arrayed against Mr. Seddon over the "Voucher" incident. Mr. Taylor's attitude in those matters wa« not popular in Christchufch, and no doubt his Aiiti-Seddonism eontribut' ed to his downfall at the polls in 1905. "A party of one" tvaa Mr. Taylor daring tho greater .part of his Parliamentary life. He had not much pa« tience for hard ; a.nd<faet party ties. He acted aa th« spirit moved him. He was splendidly impetuous, from the viewpoint of tho M - average man— and regrettably impetuous from the viewpoint of the avei'age subtle politician. It is true that ho had an ambition to form a, Young New Zealand Party. Hefore the Parliament of 1902 dissolved, he was the big feather in the lively Left Wing, it the hustings of 1905 ho was the head and front of the New Liberals, who were almost annihilated in that year. Latterly Mr. Taylor had hopes of (Seeing an Independent Labour Party, and gave assurances of help to form such a party, though he declined to eign a Formal pledge. As a platform speaker he had no peer iff Nfiw Zealand. He had an art, a /rt-i'*, and clarion tones, to compel the admiration of ' foe and friend alike. When facing a vaet audience he had magic to weld the units into one vast individual, and .hold it, attd sway it. Hw oratory in the House of Representatives is something to be remembered. Tie was one man to always command a full and alert attendance of the Press ialkry. _ The phrase "Taylor's up," illicitly circulated, soon filled the room. 1 He gave great promise as a municipal administrator during the few months of his term as Mayor, a position which he owed to solid Labour support. Ho was rapidly falsifying the prophecies that he ■would be an irresponsible head of the eetinciL He Was convincingly proving himself an, active, far-seeing business man.