OBITUARY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 7

OBITUARY

RIGHT HON. J. H. WHITLEY. FORMER SPEAKER OF HOVSE. Received Feb. 4, 5.15 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 3. The death is announced of the Rt. Hon. John Henry Whitley, former Speaker of the House of Commons, at the age of 69. The Rt. Hon. .1. H. Whitley resigned his office as Speaker of the House of Commons in June, 1928. Ho was really predestined to step into the Chair when Viscount Ullswater stepped out. He had been Deputy Speaker for ten years previous to his election, and so well had he acquitted himself as Chairman of Ways and Moans that the House elected him Speaker when the brilliant regime of Mr. Lowther came ' to an end in the summer of 1921. A native of Halifax, Mr. Whitley was

educated at Clifton College, and thou graduated at London University. He joined the family firm of cotton spin ners, but was aJways more drawn to the study of politics and social economics. In March, J 909, he was elected Liberal ALB. for Halifax, and that great constituency remained faithful to him till retirement. In the House of Commons Air. Whitley set himself to study i the rules of Parliamentary procedure. He was a pertinacious critic of the Estimates, ana within seven years of . his entrance into Parliament he was given office as a Junior Lor . of the Treasury under the kite Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman ami the late Earl of Oxford and Asquith, remaining in ! office from 1907 to 1910. The following ( year he was appointed Deputy-Speaker and became a Privy Councillor. His ( greatest work was done in 1917, when, ( as Chairman of the Committee of Industrial Problems, he presented his re port advocating what have since become known as “Whitley Councils” as between employer ami employed. His calm judgment nn I complete mastery of Parliamentary complexities enabled him to uphold the fine traditions of the Speakership. He retained his social work among tire young men of Halifax, his vein of dry humour making him very popular in his constituency. After leaving the Speaker’s Chair he refused 1 a. peerage Latterly he was chairman of the British Broadcasting Corpora ! tion. PROFESSOR H. JUNKERS. .MUNICH. Feb. 3. 'l’he death is announced of Professor Hugo Junkers, the aeroplane engine in vent or and construc tor.