DEATH OF M.P.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25855, 28 May 1945, Page 4

DEATH OF M.P.

MR JAMES MUNRO 20 YEARS IN PARLIAMENT The death occurred last night of Mr James Wright Munro, M.P. for Dunedin North, in his seventy-sixth year. Mr Munro was a member of Parliament for 20 years, representing Dunedin North for two periods, first from 1922 to 1925 and then from 1928 to the time of his death. Mr Munro was born at Roslyn in 1870, and spent all his life in Dunedin. For many years he carried on <a bakery business at North Dunedin in partnership with Mr P. Neilson, under the name of the Union Bakery. During an active participation in local Labour affairs extending over a period of many years he was president of the

Bakers’ Union, vice-president of the Tailoresses’ Union, and first president of the Otago and Southland Woollen Mills Union. He was also president of the Political Labour League, which was the forerunner of the Otago Labour Representation Committee, and for six years was vice-president of the Otago Trades and Labour Council. In 1908 Mr Munro unsuccessfully contested the Dunedin West seat against Mr J. A. Millar, and standing again three years later was defeated in the first ballot, his opponents being Mr Millar and Mr H. D. Bedford. In 1914 he received an actual majority of votes cast in Dunedin Central, but on a recount a considerable number of his votes were found to be invalid, with the result that he was defeated by 12 votes by Sir Charles Statham. Sir Charles, however, refused to take advantage of the informality, and resigned his seat, only to defeat Mr Munro again at the by-election. After again unsuccessfully contesting the Dunedin Central seat in 1919, Mr Munro was returned for Dunedin North at a by-elec-tion in 1922, and he retained the seat at the general’"election held at the end of the same year. He lost it to Mr H. L. Tapley in 1925, but regained it in 1928, holding the seat the time of his death.

Mr Munro had been a member of the City Council and of the Otago Harbour Board, with the exception of one short period, since 1927, and had held office as chairman of several of the council committees. He is survived by his wife, three sons—Messrs James L. B. Munro (Dunedin), Walter J. Munro (Wellington)), and David J. Munro (Stirling)—and two daughters—Miss Ethel Munro (Wellington) and Mrs M. Evans (Sydney).