The Right Hon W, H. Smlth,

Manawatu Herald, 25 January 1894, Page 2

The Right Hon W, H. Smlth,

y- •_ . A life of tke late Eight Hon \V. H Smith, M.P.i has just been published. He was the head of the 1 i?ow famous house of W. H. Smi.tii aild Soiia, so well lmowri di the owners of the railway bodtstalls all over th» Kingdom. Messrs Smith's are the largest news agents in the! - world; They take atid sell iiearl£ the whole edition of the principal London newspapers. These newspapers are sent to the most distant parts of the Kingdom by special newspaper trains which start about 5 a.m. and travel at express speed, so that towns at 200 miles distant receive i heir London papers by ten o'clock in the morning and they are delivered in Edinburgh in the afternodn of the day of .publishing; There was a llardiatid-fkst rule with the bookstalls, which Mr Smith laid down, and from which he would never knowingly swerve, and that was, that nothing low or immoral sli'Mild ever be on sale. There was another rule, that no work should be done on Sunday. To this rule there is on record only a single excepliorj. This occurred in Septembor, lH5r», shortly after the battle of the Alma. The despatches contain-

ing the list of killed and wounded arrived late on Saturday night ; and, after consultation with his father, Mr Smith called upon the staff to sacrifice their Sunday rest in order that special supplements might be distributed in London and the provinces. This was only clone to put 13 speedy end to the doubts, fears, and, also necessary, to the .hopes of many distracted families. Where there was no such urgent call, Mr

Smith refused, even at the request of royalty, to abate his rula. Messrs Smith leceived a command to supply a member of the Royal Family with newspapers. Amongst other journals on the list accompanying the command was the Observer, published then, as now, on Sunday morning. The command was complied with, but it was explained that,

as Sunday work was contrary to the rules of the firm, the Observer could Hofe be supplied. The biographer adds :— " This was followed by a visit from an indignant official, !who seem 3d at a loss to understand how a regulation of a firm of l^ewaagents cctild stand in the way 6f r a r Royal command ; bnt even the threat of th^| withdrawal of the whole order did not avail to cause a departure from the rules of the house. To fcbia day, though Sunday papers have in the meantime multiplied many times, and are, moreover, a peculiarly popular form of literature, those who desire them have to obtain them elewhere than from Messrs Smith's agents." To the end of his life Mr Smith was opposed to the Sunday opening of picture galleries and museums. He considered that it would be harmful to the interests . of the working classes, a3 it would involve the compulsory employment by the State of many of the employees on Sunday, and set an example" f-io private employers of labor in" the direction of amusements. In his opinion a Sunday rest is invaluable to the working man, and he was anxious to protect it as Car as he could. . j;^ He was in favor orßible reaaing and religious instruction in^poard schools, but against any attempt at proselytisin. V > &; In 1868 be contested Westminster as a Liberal-ConseiTative, afl^l wa» elected by a large majprity, Io 1874, Mr Disraeli offered Mr Smith the post of Financial Seoretary to the Treasury, and he acce|it#ij;|?he appointment, and from tHa^; June was a member of every oonseCTapve Ministry formed up to th».^®e of his death. He was appointjdJif JFirst Lord of the Treasury in 1887\. friend and opponent respected him. and he was without an enfeiny^in political life. "He was an bonest man who conscientiously tried to do . his duty, and succeeded more than most men." After his death bis widow was created a Peeress. ' His father was. a Weslejito,' but he himself left Wesleyianism— for -th# Church of England inea^ly life. ■ ■*. .. > ;.jIIUCJ S~.\