OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20234, 19 April 1929, Page 11

OBITUARY.

SIR THOMAS SMARTT.

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICIAN

(Received April ]S, 5.5 p.m.) United Service. CAPETOWN, April 17. Tho death took place to-day of Sir Thomas Smartt, aged 71. Deceased was known as tho " Father of the South African Parliament."

Sir Thomas W. Smartt was a member of the South African Legislative Assembly, and belonged lo ihe South African party. Ho was Minister of Agriculture from 1921 to 1924, and Commissioner for Public Works in Cape Colony. Jto was also leader of the Unionist party in South Africa. Sir Thomas was Colonial Secretary in the Sprigg Ministry in 1898, Commissioner of Public Works in 1900, and Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public A'orks in the Jamieson Ministry of ITo was born in Ireland and was trained for the medical profession. In 1926 he led a South African Parliamentary delegation which visited Australia.

SIR H. BAX-IRONSIDE. (Received April ]S, 5.55 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, April 17. Tho death has occurred of Sir Henry Rax-Ironside, aged 69. He was British Minister at Sofia at the outbreak of tho

Sir Henry Bax-Ironsido was educated at Eton and at Exexter College, Oxford. He joined the diplomatic service in 1883; was acting Charge d'Affaires at Copenhagen, 1887; Teheran, 18S8; Vienna and Cairo, 1891; Washington, 1894; in charge of Central American Legation, 1897; secretary of Legation and Charge d'Affaires, Peking, 1897; at Stockholm; Caracas, 1902-7. Jle was Minister to Chile, 1907-9; to Switzerland, 1909-10; and to Bulgaria, 1910-15.

SIR CLIFFORD SIFTON. Australian Press Association—United Service NEW YORK, April 17.

The. death occurred to-day uf Sir Clifford Siftoti, for many years prominent in Canadian politics and in business as a newspaper publisher. His age was 67.

Sir Clifford Sifton was of Irish descent. He was born in Ontario, a son of Mr. J. W. Sifton, formerly Speaker of the .Manitoba Assembly. Ho was called to the Manitoba Bar, 1882; practised in Brandon and was created a Queen's Counsel, 1895. Ho was elected to tho Manitoba Legislature for Brandon. 1888, and remained its member until 1896. He was AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Education in the Manitoba Government, 1891, and Minister of the Interior and Superintendent-Gen-eral of Indian Affairs in Sir Wilfred Laurier's Government, 1896. Sir Clifford was agent for the British Government before the Alaska Boundary Tribunal, 1903. He held many other public offices. • Tie was first elected to tho Canadian House of Commons in 1896, and re-elected in 1900, 1904 and 1908.