OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 5

OBITUARY

MRS E. R. McCOMBS i DOMINION’S FIRST WOMAN M.P. NOTABLE PUBLIC SERVICE (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, June 7. The death has occurred of Mrs Elizabeth McCombs, M.P. for Lyttelton. She had been in ill-health. Mrs McCombs leaves a record of national and civic service that will remain an inspiration for generations, first as the wife and able helper of the late Mr James McCombs, M.P., then on her own account as the representative of the women of New Zealand in Parliament. She gave of her best in public service. During her years in Parliament her supporters and admirers (and they ran into many thousands) saw with anxious eyes that on each successive public appearance this indomitable woman was becoming more and more fragile. The gallant spirit that had carried her so far in her brilliant career was undaunted, but many saw that her strength was being overtaxed, that she was sacrificing herself on the altar of service to her fellows.

She was a greatly loved . and respected woman and her admirers were of all shades of political opinion. Above all was recognized her active sympathy for the less fortunate, and indeed this was what actuated her throughout her public life. Mrs McCombs is survived by a son, Mr Terence H. McCombs, and one daughter, Miss Alison Patricia McCombs. Other members of Mrs McCombs’ family are Miss Alice Henderson, for nearly 40 years a missionary of the Presbyterian Church in India, Miss Chistina Henderson, a well known social worker, and Mrs E. F. Allan, lady editor of the Melbourne Argus, her sisters, and Mr A. G. Henderson, editor of the Christchurch Times, is a brother. Arrangements have been made for Mrs McCombs to be buried from the City Council chambers on Sunday afternoon. The pall-bearers will be provided by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party and representatives of local bodies to which she belonged.

Long before Mrs McCombs won the notable distinction of being the first woman member to enter the New Zealand Parliament, she was widely known as a progressive woman politician and a noted leader in the New Zealand Labour Party. Mrs McCombs had a very distinguished career of public service in local politics before she entered Parliament. She was bom at Kaiapoi, and was the youngest daughter of Mr Daniel Henderson. She was educated at the West Christchurch School and the Christchurch Girls’ High School. She showed her flair for organization and social welfare work at an early age, taking -> the position of secretary to the Children’s Aid Society. Later she became interested in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, but her position with the Children’s Aid Society was held until her marriage to Mr J. McCombs in 1903. One of her first important political activities was in association with the old Canterbury Progressive Liberal Association, one of the organizations which, about 30 years ago, was active in fostering the old Seddonian Liberal policy. Mrs McCombs was a member of the executive of this organization, and her association with it probably encouraged the liberal outlook which was part of her notable political success. From this former Liberal association it was almost natural that when Mrs McCombs came to take an even more active part in politics she should find her career with Labour. She was a successful candidate for the Christchurch City Council in 1921, and it was not until the present year, when ill-health and the stress of other duties prevented her from standing again, that she had to relinquish this connection with municipal affairs. But her long period as a city councillor was particularly notable for the exceptional services she gave the city as chairwoman of the electricity committee. There her great administrative ability proved itself, and her efforts were untiring towards reducing the cost of electricity to the private consumer in the city and to commercial users. During the recent municipal election all parties joined more than once in paying striking tributes to the able way in which she had managed the principal affairs of the Electricity Committee. Mrs McCombs held the position of chairwoman of the committee from 1927 until she relinquished her position as a councillor. In 1921 Mrs McCombs also entered another useful period of public service when she was elected to the North Canterbury Hospital Board as one of the city’s renresentatives. She held her seat there for many years, and gave the board and the city valuable service. She had another civic distinction when she was elected to the Christchurch Tramway Board in 1927, and was the first and only woman elected to the board; in the election in 1930 she was re-elected as the member for the Sum-ner-Woolston-Cashmere Hills subdistrict. In much of, her work Mrs McCombs was able to be associated closely with her husband. She became a member of several smaller local bodies, and was a member of the Christchurch Domains Board. In all her work for local bodies and other organizations, Mrs McCombs showed a deep interest in the welfare of women and children, and she had a high conception of the rights and duties of women as citizens.

Mrs McCombs crowned her political career when she was elected to represent the Lyttelton constitutency in the by-election of September, 1933. Her win was looked on as a notable victory not only for her party, but for the women of the country. Mrs McCombs had contested seats in previous general elections. In 1928 she stood for Kaiapoi, and was defeated by Mr R. W. Hawke in a three-cornered contest; at the next general election she stood again, and was defeated by Mr H. Holland in the election for Christchurch North, in which Mr L. C. Walker was also a candidate. But when, in 1933, her husband died, after he had held the Lyttelton seat for 20 years, she was nominated by the Labour Party as its candidate in the subsequent by-election, and after an exciting campaign, was elected member for Lyttelton and the first woman member of the New Zealand Parliament. Her majority over Mr F. W. Freeman and Mr E. L. Hills was 2600. In recent months the health of Mrs McCombs had been causing serious concern. She was forced to secure leave of absence from meetings of the Christchurch City Council and was absent during the last session of Parliament. FEELING' REFERENCE LEADER OF LABOUR PARTY. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, June 7. Feeling reference to the death of Mrs E. R. McCombs was paid by the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr M. J. Savage. “Her passing has created a gap in the ranks of the Labour Party that will

be hard to fill,” he said. “She was not only the first woman to occupy a seat in the Parliament of New Zealand, but also by her outstanding ability, both in the House and out, she made a very effective reply to those who maintained that women are not the equals of men, either in local or national government.” Messrs Savage and P. C. Webb, the member for Buller, who has been visiting Auckland, left to-night to attend the funeral. MOTION OF SYMPATHY • DAIRY ASSISTANTS’ UNION. At a meeting of the Southland and Otago Dairy Factory Assistants’ Union last evening a motion of sympathy with the relatives of Mrs McCombs was carried. MR GEORGE GROSSMITH. ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, June 6. The death is announced of Mr George Grossmith, actor and playwright. Mr George Grossmith, actor, dramatic author and manager, was born in London in May, 1874. and educated at University College, London, and in Paris. His father was George Grossmith. the famous actor and entertainer. He made his debut in an operetta written by his . father and W. S. Gilbert, "Haste to the Wedding,” produced at the Criterion Theatre, London, in 1892. After having parts in other pieces he made his first great success, by his creation of the "dude” on the stage—a character which has since become almost an established feature of musical comedy. It was the part of Lord Percy Pimpleton in “Morocco Bound” that gave him the chance which he developed so triumphantly. At the end of the run of the piece in 1894 he was engaged by George Edwardes for his productions at the Gaiety where he increased his reputation as a comedy actor. In 1904 he toured the United States with Edna May in "The School Girl” and other successful plays and musical comedies and later appeared both in England and America with Mrs Langtry in "The Degenerates ” In 1910 he took part in a revue at the Folies Bergere, Paris, and also played at the Theatre Rejane. His successful career at the Gaiety was interrupted by the war and on its conclusion he ventured on management, taking first the Winter Garden Theatre and later in conjunction with Edward Laurillard the Apollo, Adelphi, Gaiety. His Majesty’s and Shaftesbury, all London Theatres. Dissolving partnership with Laurillard in 1920, he formed the company of Grossmith and Malone and took over the Shaftesbury, Winter Garden and His' Majesty’s. but disposed of them in 1925. Two years later he became lessee of the Strand Theatre. He claimed to have Introduced the revue and the cabaret entertainment into England. Mr Grossmith wrote most of the songs he sang and was also author or part-author of a large number of musical comedies and plays. MR A. B. HANSEN. (Per United Press Association.) Dannevirke, June 7. The death has occurred of Mr Alfred B. Hansen, a pioneer settler at Norsewood. He was a member of various local bodies, including the Dannevirke Hospital Board, the Dannevirke Power Board, the Dannevirke County Council, and the Hawkes Bay War Relief Association.