OBITUARY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1939, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR E. J. HOWARD. M.P.

(Per Press Association.—Copyright.)

CHRISTCHURCH, April 26

The .death occurred this afternoon of Mr Edwin John Howard, M.P.; Chairman- of Committees in the House-* of Representatives, and Member fob’ Christchurch South constituency. He ! was seventy-one years of age. The late ivir E. J. Howard had been a member for Christchurch -South since 1919. His death removes a pioneer and widely esteemed figure from the Labour Movement. In January he became ill, but recovered steadily. Oil Monday ’he was operated on for another complaint at tin# Little Company of Mary'Hospital. His death occurred early this afternoon, being rather unexpected. A civic funeral will be accorded the late Mr Howard by the City Council. The body will ; be taken to the Municipal Offices early on Saturday morning, and will li e in the horseshoe of the Central office until 11 a.m., when the funeral will take place. The Mayor (Mr R. M. MacFarlane) is supervising the funeral arrangements. The late Mr Howard was born ifi Bristol in 1868, and educated at St. James the Less, Plymouth. He became apprenticed to an accountant at Devon port. However, he went to sea, spending his early , years as a.seaman in the Royal Navy. He first came to Christchurch in 1887, and the following year lie married, in this city, Miss Harriett Goring, daughter of Mr and Mrs Amos G. Goring, who died 29, years ago. Joining tne Labour Movement, Mr Howard soon became prominent. Fot uiany years he spoke, to use his own terms, from the “soap box” in Cathedral Square. For those battling days of the pioneers of Labour he graduated through every office in the movement until, at his death, he saw his Party elected as.the Government for, the second time, and himself in the honoured position of Chairman of Committees and Deputy-Speaker of the House of Representatives. Another honour th,at of administrator of Samoa was offered to Mr Howard in 1936 by the Labour Government. “This Was a very attractive offer to follow in the footsteps of generals and- other gallant officers,” he 1 told, electors, of Christchurch South last year, “and I felt it I accepted I would have let ,vou down.’’

MR SAVAGE PAYS TRIBUTE. WELLINGTON, April 27. Hon. M. J. Savage paid a tribute to the late E. J. Howard. He said: '“We have lost a great worker in the Labour movement and jh good friend. All through his -active life, Mr Howard was associated with every movement towards making social conditions better for the people. As Chairman of Committees he had a full, ready,knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and, was scrupulously fair in the exercise, of his duties. He held the respect of all parties in Parliament and his. passing will be deeply regretted.”