LOSS TO LABOUR
MR. JAMES McCOMBS DEATH AFTER A STROKE [ Per Press Association. I ( HRbSTCnURCH, Aug. 2. Air Janies McCombs, member of Parliament for Lyttelton, died suddenly, after a stroke, early this morning. Air AlcCombs had been suffering from heart trouble for the past week and was under medical attention, but death was unexpected, as yesterday his health appeared generally satisfactory. lie leaves a widow, Airs Elizabeth McCombs, a member of the Christchurch City Council, and a daughter, Miss Patricia AlcCombs, and a son. Mr T. AlcCombs, who is on the staff of Canterbury College. Air AlcCombs became unwell last week. He had a slight stroke on Saturday, from whl'ch he rallied and appealed to be recovering. His condition yesterday wns causing no concern, but he died, of heart failure in bed early this morning. The funeral will probably take place on Friday. He was aged 60. Tributes arc being paid by many public men and former colleagues. The Lyttelton Harbour Board carried a motion of sympathy, several members remarking that; his death has meant a national loss. Air Howard. ALP.. said he was a likeable and lovable man, and it wns remarkable that he was so often misunderstood.
News of the death of Air McCombs will be received with general regret, for apart from his long association with politics he played a prominent, part in other walks of life. Air AlcCombs was born in County Leitrim, Ireland, in .1873, and he arrived in New Zealand with his parents at the age of three years. Ho received his early education at tho Sydenham and East Christchurch Schools, and later studied for tho Anglican ministry. A wide reading in philosophy and sociology, however, turned his attention to philanthropic and political work. Always radiVai in his outlook. Air AlcCombs joined the old Progressive Liberal Association, of which Air H. G. Ell was president. His first experience of a political contest came when he was secretary of Air Ell’s election committee, but later on Mr AlvCombs was destined to bo connected personally with many stern fights in the political arena. He first stood for Parliament in J9OB, when he unsuccessfully contested tho Christchurch East scat, and he was again unsuccessful in 1911 when ho endeavoured to win the Avon seat. Just prior to the war he experienced something of a change in political* faith and joined up with the Social Democratic Party. In 1913. as a Social Democrat, ho entered Parliament as member for Lyttelton, and he retained the scat in the Labour interests up to the time of his death. In recent years Mr Al'eCombs had found it to be anything but an easy task to retain his scat, and in 1925 ho was actually defeated by Air AL E. Lyons, on the casting vote of the returning officer. Subsequently, however, he was declared elected by the Electoral Court. In 1928 he secured a comfortable victory in a three-cornered fight, but in 1931 he. bad onlv 32 votes to spare over the Coalition candidate (Mr K W Freeman), tho voting being: AlcCombs (Lab.), 5404; Freeman (Coalition), 5372; Page (Ind.'', 83. During the whole of his term in Parliament, Mr AlcCombs played a loading part in the activities of the Labour Partv. and it was to him that the party largely looked for a lead in financial matters. Although in recent years he had not been one of tho most frequent speakers from tho Labour benches, he was regarded as one of the most forceful, and his contributions to debates were always logical and well-reasoned. He seldom spoke to empty benches, for the fact that “AlcCombs was up’’ invariably brought members from the lobbies. He, was an uncompromising critic of the Government, and in latter years was one of the most vigorous opponents of a dellatory policy. 1I& was one of tho strongest opponents of wage reductions. Not only did he light them on the. floor of the House, but he took a leading part in opposing tho employers’ application for reductions in the Arbitration Court. He was a master of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, and on one occasion wns nominated by the Labour Party for (he position of Speaker. Always an ardent prohibitionist, Mr McCombs was not content to play a passivd part in the tight for the abolition of the liquor traffic in New Zealand. For some years he was president of tho Canterbury No-licence Council, and on two occasions he organised the election campaign for (he council. He also took a prominent, part in the work of the New Zealand Alliance. He strong!v opposed the postponement of the licensing referendum In local body government, also, Mr McCombs played an important, part, and at the time of his death he was chairman of the finance committee of tno Christchurch City Council. Ho was first elected to the City Council in 1913 and remained a member until .1917. He was returned again in 1931 and retained his seat, at the' last municipal election this year. Mr AlcCombs wns an ardent ad-
vocat.c of the system of proportional representation. Air AlcCombs was for some years employed in the drapery trade, and hei’i the position of president of the Canterbury Drapers’ Assistants’ Union. MR HOLLAND’S TRIBUTE [ Ter Press Association. 1 WESTPORT, Aug. 2. Tn connection with the death of Mr McCombs, the Leader of the Opposition stated to-day: “The death of Mr MvCoinhs is a great shock to myself as well as to the whole of the Labour movement He was one of the deepest thinkers and most effective debaters and greatest fighters the House ever had. Since his first remarkable victory in tho midst of the industrial storms of 1913 he figured in and out of Parliament as an unswerving champion of working men. Both industrially and politically ho was most prominent at every great, battle on tho floor of the House, and in constituencies. lie had a capacitv for work and a tennvity of purpose that won out for him in his own electorate in a series of determined contests. His life’s history was one of restless energy, and his death will mean an overwhelming loss to tho. Labour movement as a whole and of the Tiabnur Partv in Parliament in particular. The sincoTp sympathy of tho T.nbour movement from tho North (’’ape to tho Bluff will go out to Airs ATcComlis, her son and daughter in what must be fbj them (ho darkest hour of their lives. for thos e of us who wore closely ns c oci ito4 with Air McCombs wore in a position ♦o know tho measure, of his devotion, both as a linsbnnd and n father.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 181, 3 August 1933, Page 4
Word Count
1,113LOSS TO LABOUR Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 181, 3 August 1933, Page 4
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