LATE HON. J. McCOWAN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 15, 15 May 1912, Page 8

LATE HON. J. McCOWAN.

By the death of the Hon. James McGowan there liras been removed a figure long familiar in tiro political life of New Zealand, says the Auckland Star, and many will be tire regrets expressed at the knowledge that his genial presence and cheerful optimism will no longer he known in our hall of legislators. For nine years Minister of Mines and Justice in the Seddon and Ward administrations, he had a rare faculty for placating opponents and of satisfying friends without committing himself to rash Ministerial promises, with the result that during his term of office tho administration of his Departments swung along with remarkable smoothness, while the Minister himself was gemerally popular, even among tlmse who murmured at his diplomatic reticence on questions of policy and change.

Born at Max,well’s Court, County Down, Ireland, in tho year 1841, young James McGowan at the age of fifteen started work as a baker, confectioner, and storekeeper, and eight

years later elected to try In's fortune in New Zealand, landing at Auckland in 1866 from the Ship Liverpool. Five years later he removed to the Thames, where he built up a storekeeping business and became deeply interested in all matters affecting the, mining industry, and evinced an aptitude for public life. The respect which he won from his fellow citizens of the goldfields town was soon demonstrated by his election to all the offices to which they could appoint him, including the M ayoral chair, and in 1893, following the retirement of Mr, afterwards Sir A. .1. ('adman, to contest an Auckland seat, Mr McGowan was elected to the House of Representatives for the district. In 1<896 he was appointed out 1 of the party whips to the Seddon Government, and in January, 1900, on the retirement from active politics of Mr (Adman (Minister for Railways and Alines) and the Hon. Thos. Thompson (Minister for Justice and Defence), the portfolios of Justice and Alines were offered to and accepted by Mr McGowan. On the death of Mr Soddon in June, 1906, he was included in the Hall-Jones Ministry, and the retained the same portfolios when Sir Joseph Ward assumed the leadership, and in addition became Minister for immigration and in charge of the

Goof: and other islands. To these were added the portfolio of industries and Commerce on the death of the

Hon. W. Pitt. During Ids term be was responsible for much beneficial legislation for those in tho mining industry, and it was in his time that the State Coal Mines at Point El;?a----hoth and Seddonville were instituted, while as Minister for Justice he piloted through the House such reform measures as the Habitual Criminals and Offenders, Habitual Drunkards, and

Juvenile Offenders Acts. Ho was also responsible for the establishment of prison farms and camps, a departure in prison administration that hr.: - been attended with considerable success. He retired from the Ministry in 1909, when Sir Joseph Ward reconstructed his Cabinet, and was appointed to a seat in the Legislature Council, of which he has been Die leader since the resignation of Sir John Findlay at tho end of last year.