McLAREN, DAVID (1872-1939) was born in Glasgow and was trained as a boot operative. He came to New Zealand about 1897 and married (1902) Alberta Dungey Lingard. McLaren took a prominent part in trades unionism, being secretary of the Wellington waterside workers' union for some years. Always moderate, he nevertheless threw himself with vigour into the fight for better conditions for lower paid workers. He was a Labour member of the Wellington City Council (1901-12) and was mayor of the City (1912-13). He was for 12 years a member of the Wellington Hospital board, and he represented Wellington East in the House of Representatives (1908-11). During the war of 1914-18 he was on the military service board and the war relief association, and he was a member of the epidemic commission in 1918. Finding himself out of sympathy with later labour trends, he became associated with the New Zealand Welfare League. He was a member of the Burns Club and of other Scottish societies, and wrote verse of passable quality. McLaren died on 3 Nov 1939.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908, 1924, 1932; The Dominion and Evening Post, 4 Nov 1939 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 274

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