SPEAKER RETIRING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 15

SPEAKER RETIRING

SIB WALTEK CABNCBOSS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL POST TWENTY-ONE YEARS' SERVICE [by TELEGRAPH —OWN correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday A British Empire record as a Speaker has been created by Sir Walter Carncross, who will retire on July 10 from, the Speakership of the Legislative Council of New Zealand.

Sir Walter was reappointed a member of the Legislative Council last March for a further term of seven years. When he retires from tlv Speakership, for which appointments are made by the Council for a definite period and not from the beginning of the life of Parliament, as in the lower House, he will take his place as an ordinary member.

For 21 years Sir Walter has been Speaker of the Council. He succeeded Sir Walter Johnston on November 1, 1918, and his association with the political life of New Zealand has been unbroken for 49 years. Born at Bendigo, Victoria, 84 years ago, Sir Walter came to New Zealand as a boy and was educated here. A compositor by trade, he became the owner of the Taieri Advocate (which has long ceased publication) and when living at Mosgiel he was a captain in the. Taieri Rifles. From 1890 till 1902 he was member for Taieri in the House of Representatives, being for some time whip in the Seddon Government.

On his retirement from the House he was appointed to the Legislative Council, of which he has been a member ever since. He formerly owned the Eltham Argus. Sir Walter, who was given his knighthood in 1922, was one of the four delegates from New Zealand to visit England in 191G at the instance of the Empire Parliamentary Association.