OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21142, 28 March 1932, Page 9

OBITUARY.

SIR HORACE PLUNKETT. SERVICES TO IRELAND. (Received March 23, 12.13 a.m.) LONDON. March 27. The death has occurred of Sir Horace Plunkett. Horace Curzon Plunkett, third sou of the 16th Baron Dunsany, was born in October, 1854, and studied at Eton and Oxford. From 1879 to 1889 ho was ranching in Montana, where ho not only amassed a considerable fortune but gained valuable experience. On his return to Ireland ho tried to bring together men of all parties in order to make that country more prosperous. In 1894 ho started tho Irish Agriculture Organisation Society, which did splendid work by introducing co-operation among farmers and showing thern the benefits of better methods. In 1892 he had entered Parliament as a Unionist, and in 1895 lie got together a committeo to promote economic reforms. Its report, propared by Plunkett, gave details of the systems of State aid to agriculture and technical instruction in foreign countries. This report and tho growing influence of Plunkett led to the passing in 1899 of an Act establishing a Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in Ireland, of which tho Chief Secretary was president ex otficiu. Plunkett was vice-president, a position which gave him control of tho department. Ho lost his seat in 1900, but was allowed to retain his post. lu 1903 bo was knighted (K.G.V.0.). When the Liberal regime began in 1906, ho was asked to continue his work, but as n> Unionist and a man who had set forth what were regarded as unpleasant truths in his book, -"lreland in tho New Century," he had provoked the resentment of the Nationalists, who fried to drive him out of office. Tho Government let him go and ho retired in 1907. In February, 1914, when suggestions for an Irish settlement were rife, Sir Horace proposed that Ulster should accept tho Homo Rule Bill, but should have the light to secede after a term of years. A few months later lin issued a. pamphlet, "Tho Better Way: An .Appeal to Ulster riot- to desert Ireland," in which he announced his conversion to Homo Rule. In 1917, after tho Irish rebellion, during which ho had a. narrow escape, he took tho. lead in an attempt, to solve the problem. When Mr. Lloyd George set up the. Convention, the first meeting unanimously elected Sir lloraco chairman. lie worked hard for a settlement, but tho absence of Sinn Fein from tho gathering, the impossibility of reconciling tho views of the Ulstormen and the Southern Unionists, and tho occurrence of a number of tragic events in Ireland, prevented tho Convention from arriving at any result. llr> was a strong advocate of Dominion Home Pule. In 1922-3 he was a Senator of the Irish Free State, but in the latter year his home was destroyed by revolutionaries and he went to live in England. In January, 1920, he was erroneously reported dead and was able to read his own obituary notices in the English and Irish press.