William Tanner (politician)

William Tanner
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Avon
In office
1893  1908
Preceded by Edwin Blake
Succeeded by George Warren Russell
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Heathcote
In office
1890  1893
Preceded by Frederic Jones
Succeeded by electorate abolished
Personal details
Born 1851
Northamptonshire, England
Died 1938 (aged 8687)
Political party Liberal (1905 onward)
Children Walter Tanner

William Wilcox Tanner (1851–1938) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party. In 1905 he was associated with the New Liberal Party group.

Early life

William Tanner was born in Moulton, Northamptonshire, England in 1851. In 1877 he married a daughter of Mr. J. Browett of London. They came to New Zealand in 1879 on the Waitara. He worked as a boot maker in both England and New Zealand.[1]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
18901893 11th Heathcote Liberal
18931896 12th Avon Liberal
18961899 13th Avon Liberal
18991902 14th Avon Liberal
19021905 15th Avon Liberal
19051908 16th Avon Liberal

William Tanner represented the Christchurch seats of Heathcote from 1890 to 1893 and then Avon from 1893 to 1908, when he was defeated.[2]

Among the radical policies that Tanner approved of were-the nationalisation of land, periodic revaluation of Crown leaseholds, and the establishment of a state bank (Lyttelton Times, 11 November 1902, p. 3).

He was a member of the Woolston Municipal Council (1893–1900), Canterbury Hospital Board (1911–14), and Secretary to the Bootmakers' Union of Christchurch. Tanner was considered to be "the first Labour candidate" to be elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1890 when he was successful in the Heathcote electorate.[1]

Tanner was described by the Lyttelton Times in 1902 as: "Methodical, studious, always ready to refer to statistics, records and a terror for detail" (Lyttelton Times, 18 October 1902, p. 4). The Christchurch Press said of him: "Nice voice, speaks slowly with a precision almost painful...Hard-working, intelligent, industrious and no reason to doubt his honesty".

Family

Tanner died in 1938. His son Walter Tanner was the second Chief Censor of Films in New Zealand.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Mr. William Wilcox Tanner". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 91. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  2. Scholefield, Guy (1925) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 138.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Frederic Jones
Member of Parliament for Heathcote
189093
Electorate abolished
Preceded by
Edwin Blake
Member of Parliament for Avon
18931908
Succeeded by
George Warren Russell