THE LATE MR. T. E.TAYLOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 30, 29 July 1911, Page 4

THE LATE MR. T. E.TAYLOR.

EULCK'IV IN THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. SOME STRIKING BPBECHES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the .House of Representatives this afternoon Sir dames Carroll referred to the death of Mr. T. E. Taylor, who, since the House last met, had been gathered to the fold. Sir James characterised the deceased .politician as a strong, fearless man, whose lo 3 s wojJd be keenly felt' by the country. His extraordinary powers soared to the highest. He wnp a genius who was on the rising tide to claim public favor when he was taken away. The late Mr. Taylor's untimely disappearance from the House closed a career of usefulness which the country might have had the advantage of, for his usefulness , 1B » public man, -was becoming more apparent everv day. This country had lost a powerful mind, a strong, vigorous spirit of tireless energy, a great champion of the democracy. Words failed him to deswribe the deceased's qualities fittingly. *He moved that the House place on'record its high 1 sense ,of appreciation of the services rendered to, the Legislature by the tote Mt. 1. L.'Taylor and extend to the widow and iftlmily the assurajice of its sym(pathy for ,tihem in their bereavement. Mr. W. Mnssey, leader of tihe Opposition, in seconding the motion, wished' to express his sincere sympathy with the widow and family of the late Mr. T. E. Taylor. Though many differed with the hon. gentleman, all were ready to honor the memory of one of whom no one could say did not possess many good and remarkable qualities. He had few equals on the platform and no equal as far as this country was concerned. No member who ever sat in the New Zealand Parliament ever forgot Mr. T. E. Taylor. The Hon. G. Powlds said that to-day Now Zealand mourned the loss of the greatest politician ever seen in New Zealand. Mr. Taylor was without doubt the greatest speaker ever heard in Parlament or on the platform in New Zealand Ho had heard most of the great speakers of the Old Land, and he plaeed ■the late Mr. T. E. Taylor second to none, the position New Zealand occupied m the temperance world was mainly due to Mr Taylor and a few others associated with him in the earlier periods of the movement. Since Mr. Seddon died, he was sure nothing had made so great an impression on the public as the death of Mr. T. E. Taylor. Those who had not seen Mr. Taylor in the bosom of his family had not spen him at his best. The Hon. D. Buddo said he had been associated with the late Mr. T. R" Tavlor for many years and was always "impressed with the wav he stood 'up for I what he Believed to be right. He ■was i perhaps at his bast when in a minority. He was always unselfish and honest in all Jus work for the public good. Several other memliers eulogised the deceased ns a politician and a man, and expressed sympathy with his family. - ?}* Hmwe nroße llt 3 - 4 5 P.m- "until i.30 on Tuesday.

HIS LAST WORDS. AN HEROIC END. Christchurch, Friday. Messages of sympathy with Mrs. Taylor have been pouring in all morning, the common note being admiration for the splendid fighting career of the dead man. The disposition amongst local prohibitionists is to make an appeal to the Dominion for national prohibition this year as a memorial to tihe dead leader of the movement, and probably thw wiU be adopted as the rallying try of th# party in the coming campaign, Mr. Taylor knew on Wednesday morning t)in/t his ease was hopeless, and seat for his friend*- to discuss bitsine** affairs and various aspects of political work.

His farewell words to Mr. L. M. Tsitt were: "I have made many mistakes, mt I have tried to live an unselfish Mo for the. good of the many." Earlier he had said: "I have had a happy life, tiM it has been full from beginning to end. T flm very tired I know I shall be happier where J nm going but I am glad to think that T have lived out every moment, and that I have tried to do always what -was right. THE CITY'S SORROW. DOMINION WIDE CONDOLENCE. Christclmrch. Last Night. Flags were at half-mast in the city to-day as an indication of the city's sorrow at the passing of the Mayor, Mr. I. E. Taylor. ' Everywhere the sad event was discussed, and there was only the one opinion that the city had sustained a loss .which was irreparable. There is no one. who can be to Christclmrch what Mr. Taylor was to it.

Ready sympathy flowed towards the bereaved wife and family, whose loss i, eve,, greater and more poignant than that ot the city. This morning mPssnnw of wnipa liy with Mrs. Tavlor and family and tributes to the late Mr Tavlor were received from all parts of the Dominion. People and organisations seemed to be affected w,lli Uu; mi „ Mh rf Wi.it Mich Mil outstanding fimire in the public life of the coiin'VhViY ' ~,,,„„, "", li.iil been so suddenly removed.

of The Srf loWin * "*' PY "' lßts from *»»* ot the. telegrams receivedTa^Wo°Tn n ° r ( t /' , '* ra l'hed to Mrs. S f,f ,WS: ITrr Hellenev and T to jon and your family in the sal anil EST " path » f "'-^

The lion. J A Millar: '-Jt is with deepest ~^t that I learned of the death of your dear husband, and I be" to express to you mA yom f „ $ heartfelt sympathy in vour bereaveZl v has indeed lost by Itl i ' n ,lw ' th a mvmh ™ who was gf ed w, h exceptional talent and ability, and whose sincerity of purpose was a marked characteristic of his public career."

The Hon. T>. Buddo: "T deeply regret o earn of (he death of lunil l.nselhsh. throughout his public ntcrost, ll,s loyalty n„d friendship will mis. Hiuklo joimi with me in conveying to you our deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement." ' "'

Tlie Hon. 0. Jones, member of the Council: "Mr. Tavlor was esteemed for his faithful ad 'listingmshcd service ij, the jieople's

Mr. 0. U,fl.v, M.P.:«T trust you will iiHl .oine comfort in tho knowlcdsje that he died, work,„g for the pconle." >onisolf and family our sincere *vmpatiby in y0,,,. Rr p., t j OSS _„ Mr. W. Nosworthv. M.P.: 'The country can ,11 nfl/ord to lose one of »wh untiring enoray."

Mr. ,T. P. Luke. M.P.: "Mr. Taylor's death makes n prions l, r , W ]i in the inilwnrks of national righteousness" Messages of condolence were received from almost everv member of the Ilonso. Mr. Richard Tlawltou, M.P.. the Home Rule delegate: "T am shocked .beyond l expression at the tragic news of' the death of your distinguished hurimnd

We feel it as a personal loss. My col» leagues join me in offering you our sor* rowing sympathy." When the Magistrate's Court comr meocedt its sittings this momisg, the* magistrate, Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, stated •that he could add nothing to the eulogies which had already appeared in the papers as to the sterling qualities of the late Mayor. His death was * very great loss, nob only to the city, but to the country as a whole. Mr. Taylor had been a- man of many .pairte and of sterling qualities. Whenever lie had pat his hand to anything he hod not turned hack", and his steadfastness to his ideals was very marked. His energy and industry had been the wonder of everybody The late Mr. Taylor had been a lx>rn fighter, and it would he some satisfaction to his friends to know thai he had lived and died in harness. 'f1«? magistrate ithen adjourned the court for half an hour as a tribute of respect to the late Mayor's memory. TUB FUNERAL. Christchurch, Last Night. The funeral will leave the City Council building at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday for tho Addington cemetery. The l>ody will be brought to the Council Chamliers at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and will remain in the chamber until the afternoon The Council Chaml>ers will be open 1 to the public between 10.30 a.m. atldi 2 p;ttV on Sunday.

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION. Wellington, Last Night,

Tlie Government will be represented at Mr. Taylor's funeral by the ActingPremier (Sir James Carroll), Hon. Geo. Fowhlx, and Hon. I). Buddo, who leave for Christclmrch to-night. Mr. C. A. C Hardy, chief Opposition whip, will officially represent the Opposition. Aimong members who intend being present are Messrs. Laurcnson, Davey, Witty and Poole. JUL TAYLOR'S CAREER. POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. SOME NOTABLE INCIDENTS. RECALLED. Mr. Thomas Edward Taylor was born at Kirton, Lincolnshire, on June 1(1, lSli'2. He arrived in New Zealand with his parents on the ship Cardigan Castle in 1874. He was educated in primary schools at West Christchurch and Avonside. Mr. Taylor was for nearly twenty years in the employ of Messrs. J. M. Hey wood and Co., forwarding agents, and for several years prior to leaving the firm occupied the position of manager. Tn February, 18115, he entered into business on his own account as commission agent and importer. Mr. Taylor's first appearance in municipal politics was in Sydenham when that part of the city was a separate borough. He was one of six candidates for three vacant seats on the council, and the poll placed him third on the list, the other two successful candidates being Messrs William White and William Langdown. The election took place on September 8, 1887, and Mr. Taylor served Sydenham as a councillor for several Tears. FIRST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. He first sought Parliamentary honors in 180(1, when the appointment of the Hon. W. P. Reeves as Agent-General left one of the riiristchu~rr.li city scats vacant. The by-election took place on February 13, and it will be remembered thait it excited tremendous interest. There were three candidates in the field. viz./' Mr. diaries Lewis, who was standing in the Opposition interest, Mr. R. M. Taylor, who was the Government nomineo, and Mr. T. E. Taylor, wlio was the elect of the prohibition partv. The election was won by Mr. Lewis with 4174 votes. Mr. T. E! Taylor waß second with 4102 votes, and Mr. R. M. Taylor third with 319(1 votes. The general election followed on Decemlier 4 of the same year, and on this occasion Mr. Taylor was returned w junior member for Christchurch.. There were eleven candidates for the three grouped seats, and the .successful ones were Mr. Charles Lewis, Mr. (now tihe Hon.) G. J. Smith, and Mr. T. E. Taylor. Mr Taylor throiurhout his political career adopted the role of critic, and he was responsible for some of the most ov.'itini'jj incidents in the late political life of thp country. He mad* it hiß boast that he was absolutely independent of party, and at n recent meriting in Richmond said that he won three election* without the aid of anv political party. The Police Commission, which I was appointed in the ses*ion of 180". wan largely the result of Mr. Taylor'* action jin the House. His election, record was l in some respects a remarkable one. He was elected in 180(1, defeated in 1800, elected again in 11)0*2. defeated again in 1005, and elected again in 1008. BIG EVENTS IN POLITICS. The events of political significance with which Mr. Taylor has been prominently a-ssociated readily lead into one's memory. There was the first Police Commission of 1807, the voucher incident, the Seddon-Taylor case, and the antiDreadmought agitation of last year. Mr. Taylor was prominently associated with tihe prohibition movement in ChristohuTch and in Bfcw Zealand. He helped to form the Prohibition Leagu* in 1800, and has been one of the most active and enthusiastic lecturers on prohibition and no-license He often said that his first speeches were marie in the Square, under the old sycamore tree near the Godley statue. It was an excellent training ground for him, as it mu-t be admitted that as an open-air speaker he had few equals. He could hold the ra.pt attention of the largest crowds. His faculty for repartee was a gieat asset to him in these meetings, and there were few who after once encountering his rapier-like, wit cared to run the. • risk of a second bout. Tn 1801 he was elected a member of the Sydenham Licensing Oammittee, whose deliberations were the cause of some interesting and important litigation. The inclusion of tho national prohibit.an issue in the licensing ballot paper by the amendment of tho Act last session gave Mr. Taylor unbounded satisfaction. After the session closed he addressed quite a number of public meetings here on tjhat miestion and journeyed to Dunedin to address a monster meetiner there. MR. TAYLOR AS MAYOR. The election of Mr. Taylor to the office of Chief Magistrate of the cibv of Christchurch took place on April 20. when lie was returned bv n substantial mn'jority. He broueht all the energy of his strenuous personality to bear on the discbarge of duties of that office. Less than three weeks after his election ho brought down his road reconstruction scheme, on which the poll was taken vi-sterdav. TTp nddtess.d mcetinsp on successive evenings a.t the Ohoral Hall, Linwood, and St. Albans, and on the evening of (he day on which he was laid 1 up lie was (o have spoken at- Sydenham. Tt was snigjestcd to Mr. Tavlor tJhat ha wrn overtaxing hw strength bv holding these meetings in such rapid succession. but he replied that the scheme wist lx> explained to the ratepayers and that hft must do it before leavinnr to attend the session of Parliament. Tllness compelled him to abandon the Svdenham meeting. Tt wnsi not thouffht that his indisposition would be any more than temporary, and tihe new.* that he had on Sunday undergone a, critical operation caused public anxiety to be manifested to s*a extraordinary decree. On all sides were heard expression' of v.ho utm"»t svm•wthv mingled with the bone thnt Mr. Taylor w,ould speedily recover. The deceased leaves a widow and six children, including a son, an infant,—WeMinjrton Times.