MR JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4294, 1 March 1901, Page 2

MR JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN

Among lhe.men.4vho have risen to high positions in Hie Government of England, the career of .the Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain is almost unique. He enjoyed none of the advantages of rank or social position at the outset of his career; he was not educated at one of the great public schools or at a university. At Hie age of sixteen lie went to work in bis fathers leather business in London; at 38 he retired to enjoy a great fortune made by his own ability; when, he was If lie was a member of the Cabinet. To-day, at the

age of 64, he is one of the most influential men in England, and his every word and action are watched and studied by the ruler's of all civilised' nations. By his own energy he has attained that proud jmsition. And he has won it against heavy odds, for the road “from log cabin to White House” is not as smooth in England as in. the United States.

Let us glauce for a moment at the main incidents in the career of this remarkable man. He was born in Camberwell. London, on the Bth July, 1836, and after being' educated at the University College School, joined his father, who was a cordwainer, in 1852. A brother-in-law of Mr Chamberlain, senior, was Mr Nettlefold, the famous wood screw maker of Birmingham. He had purchased an American patent that was calculated to revolutionise the industry, and he wanted additional capital to develop its use. The cord waimr entered into the scheme, and sent his son northward in 1854 with the money to secure a partnership in the concern. Mr Joseph learned the business very rapidly, and his commercial instincts found abundant scope. The business under his direction was much enlarged, competitors were bought up. and the present great concern of Nettlefold’s was placed on a broad and profitable basis. So handsome were the returns that Mr Chamberlain retired as 1 have said, at the age of 38, in the year 1874.

From early youth he had been a voracious reader, with a partiality for social .science and politics. In. the public life of Birmingham he found a field awaiting the hand of a reformer, and he turned to it with eagerness. He quickly made an impression in the Town Council and was elected mayor three times in succession, in IS7I-5-G.' It was objected on the third ccoasion that lie acted not only as mayor hut as Town Council, too. During his -reign important schemes for the mnnicipaliaation of gas, water, sewage farm, and other public works were carried through, and a vast area of slums was cleared cut at a cost of over a million and a half sterling to make way for the present Corporation street. The appearance of Birmingham was transformed in a few years, and it was largely through Mr Chamberlain's invigorating influence that it came to ho known as "the best governed city in the world." Oiie of Mr Chamberlain’s earliest efforts to serve the public was the foundation of the National Education, League, which fought a stern battle on behalf of secular education against Mr W.. E. Forster during the passing of the School Boards Bill in 1870. Mr Chamberlain became president of this organisation in 1868, when lie was 32. He was afterwards chairman of the Birmingham School Board from 1874 to 1876. Education has been one of the passions of his life. His maiden speech in the House of Commons was made on an Education Bill; the burden of many of his public addresses in the days of the Unauthorised Programme was the need Tor free Education; and at last he persuaded Lord Salisbury, to confer that great boon oh. the nation.

In the same year as he retired from business Mr Chamberlain turned his eyes to the larger sphere of public work at Westminster. Sheffield narrowly missed having him as one of her representatives, for it was to Sheffield he first went for a seat. He opposed Mr Roebuck in 1874, and was defeated. He waited two years longer, and was returned as oue of the members for Birmingham iri 1876. He continued to sit far ih'o city till 1815 when he was

elected tor the newly-created West Division, and there he. has remained superior to all assaults. He was once opposed by a Mr Mahony, who only secured 31 votes. Mr Chamberlain began his Parliamentary career under some disadvantages. He was looked upon as a revolutionary. He had in a jocular mood confessed himself a Communist in 187,1, ami lie was believed to be a Socialist at least. Members expected to see a very dreadful person, and were surprised when lie came down immediately clad in frock coat, wearing an eyeglass, and speaking as perfect English as the highest born of them all. Very quickly he made himself known. He spoke in his first session, asked questions of Ministers, ami was ever ready for the sport of ■‘’Waiting” them, where such fun was toward. He sjioke only on subjects he thoroughly understood, and when he hail something of value to impart, and the House soon recognised his power. Ho look cure that he should not be forgotten in Parliament or in the country. He was President; of tho National Liberal Federation, which had its headquarters at Birmingham, and was -supposed to command some sixty Liberal votes. 8o well had ho improved his position in the first tour years he was in Parliament', under the leadership of laird Hartington that when Mr Gladstone formed a Ministry in 1881) it was necessary to give Mr Chamberlain a sear in the Cabinet, Such rapid promotion was almost unprecedented. The young 'Member became President of tbe Board of Trade, in wliieli capacity he carried some useful legislation on behalf of the seamen, reformed the bankruptcy laws and Patent Acts.

Mr Chamberlain was at (lie time delivering throughout the country the series of speeches which were afterwards known us the Unauthorised Programme. It was believed lie was intended bv Mr Gladstone to "set tbe pace’’ for the Party, and move the Whigs like Mr Goschen and Lord .Hartington. out of their lolhargv. He certainly kept them lively. Mr Goschen described him and bis associates as the "Salvation'Army of Politics’’; to which M’r Chamberlain retorted that Mr Goschen filled iu the Liberal Party the same function as ‘The skeleton at thejigvntian feasts.’’ Lord Hartington h'e likened to "Hip Van Winkle come down from the mountain on which lie has l.ven alum tiering"—a- shrewd hit. It was at this time that Lord Salisbury compared Mr Chamberlain to .lack Cade.

The Social programme was ibrown into the background by the Irish question. Mr Chamberlain had been a consistent opponent of the Coercion policy, )mt lie could not consent to Mr Gladstone’s Home Rule Bills. He provisionally joined the Government of JBBG in January, but retired in March, when he had seen the Bill. Into the problems of that time there is no need to enter now. Sufficient to say that Mr Chamberlain eventually joined Lord Harlington and the Liberal Unionists, and acted with the Conservative Party, in 1887 he was appointed to act as British Commissioner at the North American Fisheries Convention at Washington. While there he became .engaged to Miss Endicotl, daughter of the Secretary of State for War, and they were married in the following year. Mr Chamberlain had previously been married twice —in 18GI) and 18G8, bis second,wife dyingin 1875.

While acting with the Cosorvatiye Party in power and in opposition up till 1895, Mr Chamberlain's capabilities wei-o exercised tu the full on behalf of his allies and against his old friends. He was able, at the same time, to influence the passage ot Home legislation on the lilies of his old programme as, for instance, flic small Holdings and Allotments Acts, the Free Education Act already mentioned, and the Local Government Act for London, England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was lie who brought the subject, uf Old Age Pensions into the range of everyday polities; whether it he practical politics is doubtful. The credit for the Workmen’s Compensation Act is his also. Ho has always been an advocate of Clnm-h Disestablishment, and voted in, favour of Mr Asquith’s Welsh Bill. That, however, was .before he had taken office in a, Conservative Government. Air Chamberlain's work as Colonial Secretary since 1895 is so fresh in Hie minds of all that it need not he recapitulated. His efforts have been directed to open up a new era for tile Empire beyond the seas, and lie has done much practical work in the way of developing the resources of the Colonies and bringing them into better trade relations with the home martots. His conduct of the negotiations with the Transvaal Republic is still in the region of controversy. The greatest task of his life now lies to his hand —the settlement and development of Hie Iwo Colonies that have been added to Hie Empire. To that work: he will bring ripe political experience allied to that fund of shrewd commonsense and business ability which has always characterised his public work. As a. debater, Mr Chamberlain, is, perhaps, unrivalled in the -present House of Commons. It would have been rare sport to see him matched against Hie Lord Robert Cecil of old days. Mr Asquith is one of the few men who really annoy him in debate, and the tribute of irritation is the highest compliment one can look for from him. No man is more feared in. politics inside or outside, the House, for none command in such degree the power of demolishing, pulverising and ridiculing an opponent, and the desire to use that power. As an orator he adopts a simple and unadorned style. His argument is absolutely pellucid in its clearness. The dullest bearer cannot fail to understand and follow it through to the end. No interruption disturbs the flow of ideas, for he is always master of his argument before he rises. He rarely adopts the persuasive method that so .well fils Mr Arthur Balfour, and the defect of pugnacity is that it seldom attracts converts ‘’Sheffield Telegraph.”