MR. WILT. CROOKS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 173, 18 April 1921, Page 9

MR. WILT. CROOKS

FAREWELT. TO HIS CONSTITUENTS

On resigning his seat in the House of Commons, owing to failing health. Mr. Will Crooks, from his home in Poplar, n.Mr'-omd si, n letter “t o n) y friends n Woolwich”’—, “The time has arrived when I inns’, reluctantly bid farewell to my thousands of Woolwich friends ns their niemlier of Parliament. For some time I have hoped against hope for a renewal of health and strength io carry on m.v work, but it is now borne on me that m. v day’s work is over. For y 8 years I have lived and worked for you. My great reward has been your unswerving loyalty and the knowledge of your love, and trust. Few members of Parliament have had tfhe privilege of serving so loyal a hand of comrades. The name of Woolwich is indelibly written on n>v heart. My last words to you, my Woolwich comrades, are 'Continue the good fight. Be strong in faith for the cause of humanity.’ ” The story of how Mr. Crooks was able to maintain himself first of all as a member of the London Citv Council and then a« a member of fhe House of Commons is interesting. It was agreed by Ihe T.nlxmr Parly of Poplar to pay Io Mr. Crooks a similar sum to that which ho would have earned as a cooper, which was his trade. That amount was paid to him regularly until he was returned to Westminster to represent Woolwich. His wages wore then paid to the combined Labour parties of Poplar and Woolwich until the time when he began to receive the ,£4OO a year now paid to members of Parliament. Had it not been the help thus given the labour Pnrlv iirobi'blv wnul'l have lost the services of one of their oldest and most respected members in tho House of Commons.