A GREAT LABOUR LEADER.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 102, 17 May 1937, Page 6

A GREAT LABOUR LEADER.

The death of Philip, Viscount Snowden, announced to-day, ends a career that has been made noteworthy iu very many respects. It is not altogether repiarkable beoause it had its beginning among comparatively humble surroundings, for that can be said of not a few of those who have gained prominence and even eminence in Great Britain's political world. The outstanding feature in it is the long and desperate struggle whieh an active and powerfu lmind had for many 1 years with the infirmities of the body. Eorn in 1864, it was not until some thirty years later that he retired from a posfc in the Civil Sbrvice and took up journalism. It was not long. however, before he made it his chief aim in life to seek betterment for the masses of the people, and to that end he devoted himself completely and with good effeet. Both his tongue and his pen gave evidence of the incisive character of his intellect, and he soon took a forward place in the ranks of the Labour Partv. When that party achieved power it was only natural that he -should be given a high position in Cabinet, and in both the Labour Administrations he held office as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Here, as is so often the case, the responsibilities of office worked a considerable change iu outlook, and it waB with some astonishment, and no doubt a good deal of disappointment, that his colleagueH found him insisting upon conducting the finance of the country very much on conventional lines. His keen intelligence, backed by intensive study and observation. had convinced him that, in this respect at any rate, there was no short cut to permanent prosperity, and he vould have no recourse to anything savouring of an artificial inflation of the currency that could not possibly stand the test of time. He realised fully that only upon the basis of sound national finance could his main purpose be accomplished, ^.nd to that he stuck rigidly despite all the many influences that were brought to bear upon him. • In this regard it is worth recalling that, while our own Government has reduced our Eeserve Bank to a mere maehine in its own hands for grinding out what is called "costless credit," Philip Snowden regarded the Bank of England as the great bastion of British national finance and would hear none of its being brought under politiqal control. The dangers of any such step he was quick to foresee. It was not e'asy to think of this great Labour stalwart as a member of the House of Lords, but some six years ago ill-health compelled his giving up the strenuous political lifd and he accepted a title which placed him in a position to be still of some use to his party. Probably he would have rei'use^ it had ft not been that its hereditaTy character could not in his case take effect, since ther6 was no on6 to inherit it.