LABOUR MEMBER DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 11

LABOUR MEMBER DEAD.

MR. JOHN WHEATLEY, FORMER MINISTER OF HEALTH. (Received May 13. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 13. The death has occurred of Mr. John Wheatley, Labour member of tho House of Commons for the Shettleston Division of Glasgow, who was Minister of Health in the Labour Government in 1924.

Mr. John Wheatley was bom in Lanarkshire in 1369 of Irish parents. Until ho was 24 ho lived in a single room ln a mining village with 10 other persons, as he once told tho House of Commons, and it was this terrible experience which led him to study social problems and to his crusade against slums. From tho ago of 12 till ho was 22 ho worked in coalmines. Later ho was connected with a grocery business and then became a journalist and a publisher. Ho was a member of tho Lanarkshire County Couni-il from 1910 to 1912, and on tho Glasgow City Council until 1922. Ho concentrated on the problems of rent and housing, becoming president of tho Scottish Labour Housing Association. Ho joined tho Independent Labour Party in 1908. Tho Shettleston Division of Glasgow first sent him to Parliament in 1922.

When the Labour Government took office in 1924, ho was made Minister of Health. In that capacity ho was responsible for the Housing Act, which provided for a continuous building programme over a period of 15 years, designed to secure the erection of 2.500,000 houses, to bo let at rents within the means of the working classes. In December, 1926, there wore complaints of victimisation of journalists on two Glasgow weeklies in which ho held an interest.

In July, 1927, he lost an action in which he claimed £6OOO for alleged slander from Mr. J. M. R. Miller, his Conservative opponent at the previous election, and Mr. Alex. Anderson, publisher of a Glasgow newspaper.* In his evidence Mr. Miller said ho had attacked Mr. Wheatley's sincerity in constantly attacking capitalism, while he himself had suddenly become a wealthy capitalist. Ho posed as a prohibitionist, but, let himself bo financed in his business by money acquired almost exclusively from the sale of liquor. Mr. Miller also declared that Mr. Wheatley's attitude on the Russian question was an incitement to rebellion, but Mr. Wheatloy denied that ho approved of Soviet methods. In Marcn, 1927, ho left the front Opposition bench, as ho was not in sympathy with the official policy of the party, and in 1928 ho ranged himself with Mr. Maxton and Mr. Cook in their revolt against it. Ho was taken to task by tbo executive for an attack on Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald and Mr. J. H. Thomas. When Labour camo into power again in 1929. Mr. Whcatley was given 110 office. Along with the _ Clydcside members he lost no opportunity of embarrassing the Government by attacking the Unemployment Insuranco Bill. In many pamphlets and articles ho set forth tho Left Wing view of Labour policy. It was said of him by one critic that "when ho stands forth as chosen spokesman of his party 011 rents or housing, his facts conio like hammer-blows, his denunciations aro swift and terrible ns lightning. But when yon meet him in tho lobby, you nolo bow round nnd fresh-coloured and cheerful is his face, nnd how his very spectacles twinkle with goodwill." At the last, general election Mr. Whcatley polled 19,594 votes, and his Conservative opponent, Mr. IT. J. Moss, 12,870 votes, a majority of 6724.