William Downie Stewart Jr

William Downie Stewart (29 July 1878 – 29 September 1949) was a New Zealand Finance Minister, Mayor of Dunedin and writer.[1]

Not to be confused with William Stewart (politician).

The Honourable William Downie Stewart Jr
24th Minister of Finance
In office 24 May 1926 – 10 December 1928
Prime Minister	Gordon Coates
Preceded by	William Nosworthy
Succeeded by	Joseph Ward
In office 22 September 1931 – 28 January 1933
Prime Minister	George Forbes
Preceded by	George Forbes
Succeeded by	Gordon Coates
Personal details
Born	29 July 1878 Dunedin New Zealand
Died	29 September 1949 Dunedin New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	Reform

Early life

Stewart was born in Dunedin in 1878. His father was William Downie Stewart, a lawyer and politician. His mother was Rachel Hepburn, daughter of George Hepburn.[2] One of his four siblings was Rachelina (Rachel) Hepburn Armitage.[3] Stewart's mother died within months of his birth, leaving him and his four siblings to be raised by nannies and nurses. From 1888–1894, he attended Otago Boys' High School and continued his studies at the University of Otago.[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1914–1919	19th	Dunedin West		Reform
1919–1922	20th	Dunedin West		Reform
1922–1925	21st	Dunedin West		Reform
1925–1928	22nd	Dunedin West		Reform
1928–1931	23rd	Dunedin West		Reform
1931–1935	24th	Dunedin West		Reform

Downie Stewart was the author of a number of books.[2] He and the American economist James Edward Le Rossignol of the University of Denver published State socialism in New Zealand in 1910. A reviewer called the book "an illuminating study of the remarkable series of instructive experiments in socialistic legislation, for which New Zealand has become conspicuous, together with that Australian Commonwealth, which is its nearest neighbour."[4]

Downie Stewart was Mayor of Dunedin (1913–1914).[2] He represented the Dunedin West electorate from 1914 to 1935.[5] His father had previously represented the Dunedin West electorate.[5]

Minister of Finance and resignation

Downie Stewart was Finance Minister in 1931–1933. He resigned after the devaluation of the New Zealand currency, a measure he opposed.[2][6][7] Downie Stewart stood in the 1935 general election as an Independent United-Reform Coalition candidate, losing to Labour's Dr Gervan McMillan.

In July 1934, he became the first chairman of the newly formed New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, the local branch of Chatham House.[8] He ceded that position to Bill Barnard, the speaker of the House, the NZIIA merged with the local branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations in late 1939[9]..

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[10]

Notes

1. "Story: Stewart, William Downie". Teara. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
2. Dale, Stephanie. "Stewart, William Downie - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
3. Wilkie, Yvonne M. "Rachelina Hepburn Armitage". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
4. L.L.P. (1911). "State Socialism in New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Wiley. 74 (7): 754–756. doi:10.2307/2339748. JSTOR 2339748.
5. Scholefield 1950, p. 141.
6. Wood, p. 118
7. Burdon, 'New Dominion', p. 161
8. Yamaoka, Mikio (2005). "Reconstructions issues of the New Zealand branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations in pre-War times". In Yamaoka, Michio; Oshiro, George M. (eds.). Towards the construction of a new discipline : international conference proceedings on the re-evaluation of the Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR). Tokyo: Ronsosha. p. 60. ISBN 4846006689.
9. Yamaoka, Mikio (2005). "Reconstructions issues of the New Zealand branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations in pre-War times". In Yamaoka, Michio; Oshiro, George M. (eds.). Towards the construction of a new discipline : international conference prodeecings on the re-evaluation of the Institute of Pacific Relations (IPR). Tokyo: Ronsosha. p. 65. ISBN 4846006689.
10. "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. CXIX (105). 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 6 September 2015.

References

• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Political offices
Preceded by Francis Bell	Attorney-General 1926 1931–1933	Succeeded by Frank Rolleston
Preceded by Thomas Sidey		Succeeded by George Forbes
Preceded by Frank Rolleston	Minister of Justice 1928	Succeeded by Thomas Wilford