OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18563, 22 November 1923, Page 9

OBITUARY.

DR. JOHN CLIFFORD.

G.O.M. OF BAPTIST CHURCH.

Australian and* N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20.

The Rev. Dr. John Clifford died at a meeting of the council of the Baptist Union to-day. ' ' ~

Dr. John Clifford's long life— was born 87 years agois a record of high endeavour, in his Church, in politics, in education and in scholarship. Ever a fighter, his first fight began when, as. a boy of 11, he left the village school of his native Sawley, in Derbyshire, and entered a Nottingham lace factory as a "iackeroff," a mere unconsidered working lad. But he fought with his apparent destiny until he had risen through several grades of craftsmanship and became head of a department in charge of 150 workers.' Then he began a new fight, for education and such measure of mental culture as he could acquire in his meagre spare time. This was during an interval of outdoor occupation in a nursery garden, a change necessitated by ill-health. When he recovered his health he returned to the lace factory, 'and entered upon his third campaign. He decided to enter the Baptist ministry. The difficulties before him would have daunted a stouter spirit. When, in 1855, he entered the General Baptist College at Nottingham, the teaching was almost entirely theological, and it was his intention to equip himself on the side of "the humanities" by competing for the' Dr. Williams' Scholarship, and, if successful, proceeding to Glasgow University. But while he was thus proposing, the congregation of Praed Street Chapel, Paddington, was disposing of his career on an altogether different fashion. They invited him to become their pastor, and he. accepted on the understanding that his duties should be limited to the Sunday sermons, and that the deacons should" attend to the rest. of the church work. The object of this arrangement was that the youthful minister—he was then only 22, should be able to embark on a long course of study which he had i marked out for himself. To. this course he rigidl" adhered, with the result that at the end of 11 years' study at University College, he took in turn at London University, then only a degree-granting body, the 8.A., B.Sc, M.A. and LL.B. degrees. •. - -■■ - ■ ' _~_' , At 'Praed Street Chapel Dr. Clifford gradually obtained a large following and in 1877 Westbourne Park Chapel was opened for him. There was in those days a powerful section of Nonconformists who were averse to the linking of the activities of the Christian Church with the amusements cf the people. When Dr. Clifford came to Paddington, almost all the energies of the Young Men's Christian Association in the locality were devoted to prayer meetings and Bible study, and anything outside these limitations was regarded as sinful. Dr. Clifford did not take quite such an uncompromising view, and one of his first acts was to widen the operations of the association for young men in connection with his own church. His first move was in the direction of education. : He began early morning classes Tor the study of logic and New Testament Greek, and these were so highly successful that they developed into a' fullyequipped technical institute, which the London County Council later took over and formed into the Paddington Technical Institute. • '~' An ardent Liberal,- Dr. Clifford became prominent in politics in 1903 and onward, in consequence of his advocacy of ''passive resistance" to the Conservative Edulion Act of 1902. Into this movement he threw himself with militant ardour, his own goods being distrained upoft with those of numerous other Nonconformists, rather than that any > contribution should be made by them in taxation for the purpose of an Education Act which, in their opinion, was calculated to support denominational religious teaching in schools. The "passive resistance" movement, with Dr. Clifford as its chief leader, had a large share in the defeat of the Unionist Government in 1906. . Dr. Clifford remained in the pastorate of Westbourne Park Chapel until 1915, and from 1916 to 1919 he was president of the National Brotherhood Council.

HERR HAVENSTEIN.

PRESIDENT OF REICHSBANK.

Australian wad, N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 10.5 pjn.) BERLIN, Nov. 20.

The death is announced of Herr Haven-. stein, president of the Reichsbank. He came into prominence last year owing to his refusal to extend further credit to German commerce when the issue of marks passed the billion figure.."