LONG CAREER ENDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20490, 15 February 1930, Page 13

LONG CAREER ENDED.

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE.

70RTY YEARS of public life

TERM'AS PRIME MINISTER.

COMMISSIONER IN LONDON.

The death of Sir Thomas Mackenzie occurred in Dunedin yesterday in his 76th year. Death was due to angina pectoris. Sir Thomas had been conspicuous in the public life of New Zealand for ov<;r 40 years, and had held the highest offices in the State, including the Prime Ministership for a /brief period, and the position of High Commissioner in London. For the greater part of his political career his function was rather that of a critic of the party that happened to be in power at the moment than that of a constructive statesman, but in the later years of the long reign of the Liberals he threw in his lot with the Ward Ministry, and held portfolios for sixyears.

° The apex of his political distinction was reached in 1912, whsn the Liberal regime was tottering to its downfall. After the Ward went out of office, in March of that year, it fell to Sir Thomas to head the last rallying of the party, as Prime Minister from March to July. It was after the defeat of that Cabinet in the no-confidence debate that led to the installation of the Reform Government that Sir Thomas was appointed to the High Commissionership, which position he held until he gave place to Sir James Allen in 1920. , He was knighted in 1916. Soon after his return to the Dominion, Sir Thomas was, in March, 1921, called to the Legislative Council, and was a member until the time pf his death. A " Much-moved " Member.

Sir Thomas was born in Edinburgh, on March 10, 1854, and, coming to New Zealand with his parents in 1858, was educated in Otago. In early manhoo'd he was a successful storekeeper in the Balclutha district, and was so engaged when, in 1887— at. the election which displaced the second Stout-Vogel Administration —he was returned to Parliament to represent- Clutha,, a fact which gave him the soubriquet of "Clutha Mackenzie," long years before he conferred it in actual baptism upon his youngest son. That seat he held until 1896. when he dropped temporarily out of politics, and went to London to represent several,producing interests of the South Island.

In 1899 Mr. Mackenzie returned to the colony, as it then ranked, and was again elected to the House, this time as member for Waihemo. The redistribution of seats in 1901 deleted Waihemo from the Parliamentary map, but Mr. Mackenzie found another seat, for Waikouaiti. Once again in the recasting of electorates, it was Mr. , Mackenzie's seat that disappeared; the process was due .to the greater increase of population in the North Island than in the South, and the consequent alterations in voting power. Mr. Mackenzie, however, was successful at Taieri.

The Representation Commissioners Beemed to have his seats marked out for extinction, for Taieri also disappeared at the next redistribution. He then quitted the South Island, and in 1911 defeated Mr.' B. Dive at Egmont. This was the general election that sealed the fate of the Liberal Administrations.

Relations with Parties, As regards political allegiance Sir Thomas was for years the despair of both the parties which ruled in turn in New Zealand. In the beginning of his career in the House he was more or less allied to the Atkinson party. In the BallanceSeddon period he was for some years one of the most outspoken critics of the Government. Subsequently he took up an independent position, still with leanings toward the Opposition—to-day represented by the Reformers—but sitting on the cross-benches, and in general known as embodying in himself "the Tom Mackenzie party," which was not committed to the political shibboleths of the day, whichever party uttered them. After Sir Joseph Ward succeeded to the Premiership, on the death of Mr. Seddon in 1906, Sir Thomas inclined more and more in his direction. In February, 1908, he announced his intention to associate himself with the Ward party, claiming that this action involved no violation of his political ' principles or obligations. From this stage onward Sir Thomas was wholly identified with the Liberals. In January 1909, he became a member of the Executive without salary, taking the portfolios of Industries and , Commerce, and Tourist and Health Resorts. In the following May he Cook over the Department of Agriculture from Sir Joseph Ward, and when Mr. A. W. Hogg resigned from the Ministry he was elevated to full Cabinet rank. A Short-lived Premiership.

So matters stood until the general election of December, 1911, brought New Zealand political affairs to a deadlock. When Parliament met in February, Mr. Massey attacked the Ward Government with a motion of no-confidence, and in the division the Ministry was saved only by the casting-vote of Sir. Speaker Guinness ; 39 votes had been registered on each side. Parliament was prorogued and shortly afterwards the Ward Government resigned. Sir Thomas was selected by the party as its new head. Its reign, however, was short—from March to July. In the latter month Mr. Massey returned to the charge, his iresh no-confidence motion was carried by 41 votes to 33. Within a few weeks, Mr. Mackenzie was on his way to London to take up his • duties as High Commissioner. Activities and Hobbies. Before he entered Parliament, Sir Thomas had been for six years a member of the Balclutha Borough' Council, and in the years 1901-5 he was Mayor of Roslyn, Dunedin. For a long period he was a. member of tho Otago Education Board, part of the time as chairman, and hj Eerved also on other local bodies. In 1888 he represented New Zealand at uie centennial celebrations in Sydney. In 1889 be went to Great Britain as New Zealand IVade Commissioner. In 1894 he was a member of the Tariff Royal Commission, tn 1901 / was on the Education Comrnisu'on, and in 1897 he was appointed a governor of the Imperial Institute. Special hobbies of Sir Thomas were the exploration of the remote parts of ■he Otago district, and the preservation >f the natural fauna and scenery of the tountry. On these questions his voice bas been persistently heard in both Chambers of Parliament. No man has jone more, by personal visits and by pubic acts, to explore the West Coast Sounds listrict and to advertise its-attractions to the-world. He was a fellow of both the. S,oyal Geographical Society and the Uolonial Institute.

Lady Mackenzie, who was a daughter Df Mr. Charles Nantes, of Oeelong, Victoria, died in 1026 during a visit to Britain with her husband. Of their five ions Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie and Dr. Sruce Mackenzie are members of the nedical profession in Auckland. Mr. Jlutha Mackenzie has represented the ity in Parliament, and has been for some ime director of the Jubilee Institute Jor he Blind. Messrs. David and v.-usnck "\Tactenzie are resident in Gore and Balclutha espectivfily. The surviving daughter is !he wife of Captain A. V. McDonald, of [he Indian Army. The younger daughter, l-frs. Howard Ellis, died some years ago. Ifr. James Mackenzie, elder brother of Sir Thotrias, was for many years an officer if the Lands Department,, of which lie ras Under-Secretary from 1913 till his reireme'ht. in 1915. His death occurred on August 10, 1923. .