OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 38, 4 July 1914, Page 5

OBITUARY.

RIGHT HON. JOSEPH-CHAMBER- \ LAIN.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 4, 1-5 a.m. London, July 3. Obituary: M«- Joseph Chamberlain, aged 77 years.

A GREAT STATESMAN. The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Unionist M.P. for Birmingham West bince 1885, was one of the moUt noted figures in Imperial politics in recent years. Born at CambcrweH, he went into business in Birmingham, but retired from it before he was forty, and threw himself into local politics as an Advanced Radical. He had a remarkable influence on the civic life of Birmingham, and after being thrice elected Jlayor he was returned to Parliament ili a Liberal. Four years later he be"Came President, of the Board of Trade. He quitted the Liberal Party in ISS! - , over Home Rule, and .tornme Secretary for the Colonies in 1895, and carried on the negotiations with the South African Republics before the Boer war. In May, 1901 he propounded a scheme 4>/ fiscal reform, with which, his name will long be associated. It sharply divided the Unionist party, and has ever since been on overwhelming topic in fpolitfcH "He office in September, 1903, in rrder to prosecute this -campaign with independence. On hi* 70tl» birthday he had a striking public reception, and immediately afterwards the collapse of his health necessitated his temporary (retirement from public life.

Among oth»7 measure- he was responsible for passing were the Bankruptcy Act and Patents Act. He secured thin acceptance of flee education for the working ela--*-s. and passed the Biil for assisting working pcojile to purchase their own house-. He promoted the Local Government Bill for the counties, the Allotments and Small Holdings Bill for agricultural laborers, and took a leading part in giving compensation to workpeople for accidents suffered in the course of their employment.