Clyde Carr

Clyde Leonard Carr (14 January 1886 – 18 September 1962) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and was a minister of the Congregational Church.[1]

The Reverend Clyde Leonard Carr
Member of Parliament for Timaru
In office 1928 – 1962
Preceded by	Frank Rolleston
Succeeded by	Basil Arthur
15th President of the Labour Party
In office 1936–1937
Vice President	Jim Thorn
Leader	Michael Joseph Savage
Preceded by	Walter Nash
Succeeded by	James Roberts
Personal details
Born	14 January 1886 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	18 September 1962 Christchurch, New Zealand
Political party	Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Laurel Carr
Parents	Rev. Thomas Goodwill Carr

Biography

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1928–1931	23rd	Timaru		Labour
1931–1935	24th	Timaru		Labour
1935–1938	25th	Timaru		Labour
1938–1943	26th	Timaru		Labour
1943–1946	27th	Timaru		Labour
1946–1949	28th	Timaru		Labour
1949–1951	29th	Timaru		Labour
1951–1954	30th	Timaru		Labour
1954–1957	31st	Timaru		Labour
1957–1960	32nd	Timaru		Labour
1960–1962	33rd	Timaru		Labour

Grave of Carr and his wife Laurie

Carr was born in Ponsonby, Auckland in 1886.[1] His father was the Rev. Thomas Goodwill Carr (died 1935).[2] Carr was educated at Nelson College from 1899 to 1902.[3] Ordained as a minister in 1915, he was on the Christchurch City Council between 1923 and 1927 and the Hospital Board in the 1920s, after working in commerce and banking. Carr was also committed to animal welfare and in April 1936 he was elected to the office of President of the federated Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.[4]

Carr joined the Labour Party in the early 1920s.[1] He unsuccessfully sought the Labour nomination in the 1925 election in the Kaiapoi, Riccarton, and Ellesmere electorates.[1] He moved to Timaru to contest the 1928 election in the Timaru electorate; he had no prior family or other connection to this provincial town.[5] His 1928 election win was an unexpected upset, ousting the popular local lawyer Frank Rolleston, who was Attorney-General, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Defence at the time.[1][6] Rolleston was the son of William Rolleston, one of the most influential politicians of the 19th century in Canterbury.[7]

Carr represented the Timaru electorate from 1928 to 1962, when he resigned.[8] His long representation of the electorate is unique in that a provincial town was not a safe Labour seat, and he had no prior relation with the people of Timaru before moving there to contest the 1928 election.[9]

He was a dissident, getting three votes when he ran against Peter Fraser for Labour's leadership in 1940 to replace Savage as party leader.[10]

He was not appointed to any ministerial positions, but was Chairman of Committees (1947–1949)[11] and Deputy Speaker (1946–1950). He was Vice-President of the Labour Party (1933–1934) and President (1936–1937). Carr was widely read, and could assist the whips if the party was caught “on the hop” by speaking for his full-time while the party reorganised. He had a struggle to exist on his Parliamentary salary (£7 or $14 a week when he entered the house in 1928) and also contribute to local raffles and fundraisers. To save money he lived in his office, sleeping on a day-bed, although Nash tried to ban this for a time.[12]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[13]

His wife died in April 1961 and he moved back to Christchurch soon after.[1] He resigned from Parliament on 31 May 1962,[8] and died on 18 September 1962.[1]

Notes

1. Brown, Colin. "Carr, Clyde Leonard". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
2. "Rev. T G Carr". The Evening Post. CXX (30). 3 August 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
3. Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006, 6th edition
4. "S.P.C.A. Societies". The Evening Post. CXXI (97). 24 April 1936. p. 28. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
5. Kerr 2003, p. 7.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 79.
7. Gardner, W. J. "Rolleston, William". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
8. Wilson 1985, p. 188.
9. Kerr 2003, pp. 7f.
10. Bassett, Michael (August 1997). "Peter Fraser". Margaret Clark. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
11. Wilson 1985, p. 252.
12. Freer, Warren W (2004). A Lifetime in Politics: the memoirs of Warren Freer. Wellington: Victoria University Press. pp. 128, 129. ISBN 0-86473-478-6.
13. "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. CXIX (105). 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.

References

• Kerr, Stephen (2003). "Good Old Clyde": Clyde Carr M.P., Timaru and the Art of Incumbency, 1928–1962 (PDF) (Thesis). University of Canterbury. Retrieved 16 December 2014.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Books by Carr

• Carr, Clyde (1926), The Everest of the spirit, Christchurch, [N.Z.]: Christchurch Press, Printers
• Carr, Clyde (1936), Politicalities, Wellington, [N.Z.]: National Magazines
• Carr, Clyde (1936), Politicalities (rev. ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: National Magazines
  • The two books above contain sketches of parliamentarians: many published in the "New Zealand radio record."
• Carr, Clyde (1944), Poems, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Progressive Publishing Society
• Carr, Clyde (chair) (1958), National library committee, Wellington, [N.Z.]: R.E. Owen, Government Printer

Political offices
Preceded by Robert McKeen	Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives 1947–1949	Succeeded by Cyril Harker
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Frank Rolleston	Member of Parliament for Timaru 1928–1962	Succeeded by Basil Arthur
Party political offices
Preceded by Walter Nash	President of the Labour Party 1936–1937	Succeeded by James Roberts