OBITUARY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 13, 29 December 1930, Page 5

OBITUARY

DEATH OF LORD MELCHETT A PROMINENT INOUSTRIALIST. STORY OF INTERESTING CAREER. (United Press Association—By CableCopyright.) London, Dec. 27. The death is reported of Lord Melehett, formerly Sir Alfred Moritz Mond. l-lie King sent a message of sympathy to Lady Melchett, recognising tlie constancy wherewith Lord Melchett devoted his energies to the improvement of the country’s industrial lit*. ’’FIELD MARSHAL OF INDUSTRY." (United Press' Association—By CableCopyright.) (Received 29, 12.30 p.m.y Rugby, Dec. 28. Papers recording the death of Lord Melchett yesterday afternoon printed long tributes. The "Sunday Times’' describes him as "the Field-Marshal of industry." Lord Melchett. who was only 62. was an advocate of internationalisation and the architect of a great combine with £76,000,000 capital, namely the Imperial Chemical Industries Coy.', of which he was chairman. He was also chairman of a number of other companies and held nearly 30 directorates altogether. He was a member of Parliament from 1906 to 1928 when he was raised to the peerage. He served as Commissioner of Works during the war and later as Minister of Health. He was president of the World Power Conference in 1928. Lord Melchett was an ardent supporter of the Zionist movement and for the last ten years was in close touch with the Zionist executive. PRESS TRIBUTES. I United Press Association—By CableCopyright.l London, Dec. 28. Though generally agreeing that his political career was comparatively undistinguished, the newspapers unanimously pay tribute to Lord Melchott's business genius and the sincerity of his attempts to reconcile masters and rpen, and regret his loss at a critical period in national life. The "Observer" sjys England loses an inspiring impulke in a scientific industryman of high intellectual power. I The "Sunday Express” refers to him ns the greatest of all British industrialists. MANIFOLD INTERESTS. A British captain of industry, under whose command many a great venture grew and flourished, vas feir Alfred Moritz Mond, who iu 1928 became first Baron Melchett of Landford. Confidant of nations and friend of kings, he wielded the power of a ruler in his chosen world of business, besides playing an important part in the political life <t Britain. As one of the leading figures in the great firm of Brunner, Mond. and Co., Lord Melchett won for himself a place among the foremost personalities of British industry As time wept on his interests became manifold, extending to other chemical industries, gas and power companies, anthracite and nitrate production, and newspaper ownership. In public life he took a tireless part in politics, first as a Liberal and later as a Conservative. He was actively interested also in local body affairs, particularly those pertaining to education and public health. Lord Melchett was 62 years of age. Son of the famous chemist, Ludwig Mond, he was born at the little centre of Farnworth. in Lancashire. He received an excellent education, first at Cheltenham and later at St. John’s, Cambridge, and Edinburgh University. In 1891 he was called to the Bar. OUTSTANDING QUALITIES. It Is clear from the subsequent advance of Lord Melchett that a legal career on the North Wales and Chester circuit—the sphere in which lie found himself—could never have accommodated a man of his ambition and native business ability. So it was that his outstanding qualities as a leader of men and industrial rrouns began to show themselves when he entered Brunner. Mond, and Co. He became a director in 1895, and within the next few years took a leading part in the control of various other companies, including the Mond Nickel Company and the Staffordshire Mond Gas Company. He was a director of the "Westminster Gazette” and the Westminster Bank. Later he became chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited, and director of the United Alkali Co., Ltd. When war came in 1914 his association with industries which were vital to the British cause raised him to a nosition of national importance, for the concerns under his control provided vast chemical supplies for the manufacture of war materials. In politics Lord Melchett’s progress was equally rapid and successful. In 1906 he was elected to Parlia ment as a Liberal member for Ches ter. He lost his seat in 1910. but. in the same year, he was elected for Swansea and created a haronot From then until 1923 his political holding remained secure. On the formation of Llovfl George’s Ministry in 1916 lord Melchett became First Commissioner of Works and, in 1921. he wa* nnnointed Minister of Health. Tn 1923 he lost his seat, but he was re turned for Carmarthan in 1924. BREAK WITH LIBERALISM. In 1926 came Lord Melchett's break with the Liberal Party, its ideals, nnd its leader. He disagreed profoundly with the principles involved in Lloyd George’s land nolicy and transferred his allegiance to the Conservatives. In the previous year his speeches against Socialism attracted much attention, and his appearance as a Conservative supporter was regarded as an outward and obvious sign of the further decay of the Liberal Party rather than an indication of a sudden change in his own political outlook. In 1928 Lord Melchett organised the "Mond Conference.” at which problems relating to industrial reorganisation and industrial relation* were discussed by a representative group of employers. The first report of the conference, which appeared in

July of that year, embodied a proposal for a National Industries Coun cil whose functions would be to further Britain’s industrial progress by consultation; also the establishment of suitable machinery for research nnd conciliation. “The British Empire is being wasted," lie wrote in February, 1930. "If there is one thing more repugnant than any other to a business man like myself, it is the contemplation of economic possibilities being thrown awav for want of organisation. Lack of system is synonymous with waste, both in the unprofitable consumption of valuable materia], and in failure to take the maximum advantafie of potentialities for the creation of wealth. . . The soldiers of the Empire were not divided when the sacrifice of war was demanded. Let ns also be united to wrest, by peaceful means from unwilling tatpre. a secure and prosperous life for our oivn and for future generations of citizens." Lord Melchett published many articles on the alkali trade in scientific and economic journals, beside a volume of essays, "Questions of Today and To-morrow.” He married in 1891. BY-ELECTION NECESSARY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 29. 11 a.m.) Rugby, Jan. 28. A by-election is made necessary by the death of Lord Melchett, as his heir, the Honourable Henry Mond, is the Conservative member for tho East Toxcth division of Liverpool.