LABOUR POLITICIANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 10

LABOUR POLITICIANS.

WEALTHY PROPERTY OWNERS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY. July 25. It is not so many years ago that Australian party leaders were poor men. Most of them had risen from the ranks, and spent their parliamentary and Ministerial salaries in rearing large families and maintaining a small army of needy supporters. Jim M'Gowan, John Storey, and Frank Tudor were three that can be recalled who died almost penniless. But the old order changeth, and now many of the most prominent in the party are wealthy men. Sydney people were forcibly reminded of this fact by two incidents this week. In one the announcement was made that Mr E. G Theodore, a former Premier of Queensland and now a member of the House of Representatives for the industrial electorate of Dailey (Sydney), had purchased for £4BOO an imposing twostorey mansion in Kirribilli, one of Sydney's most beautiful harbourside suburbs. The grounds to this house measure 100 ft by 163 ft. and are laid out in beautiful gardens. From them can be obtained many entrancing views of the beautiful harbour. It- is naively mentioned that before moving into his new residence Mr Theodore intends to make numerous ali terations, including the installation of a hot-water service. But it must not be supposed that in making this outlav Mr Theodore has stretched the limit of his resources. It is much more than rumour that credits him with “sitting behind” a bank account, investments, and real estate worth more than £60,000. Mr Theodore, who is picked out as Australia’s next Labour Prime Minister, is still in his forties, and it is not more than two decades ago that he was a humble bush worker in the Queensland backblocks. But even in those days he is said to have had considerable financial acumen, and to have won more than he lost in the bush “two-up” schools, where at the beginning of the century as much as £5OO could be won in a night. The other illustration of a wealthy Labourite was afforded by another announcement that Mr Greg M'Girr, M.L.A. and a former Minister, had bought another hotel in the central western district of this State. Mr M'Girr, a chemist by profession, specialises in hotel properties, and his latest purchase brought the number he owns up to 25. but, in addition, ho owns innumerable shops not only in country towns, but also in the city Mr M'Girr is said by his closest intimates to be worth the best part of a quarter of a million.'

Another wealthy Labour man is Mr P J. Minahan, who, besides being the head of a large boot manufacturing concern, owns much property and many shares in public companies.