HOWARD, EDWIN JOHN (1868-1939) was born at Bristol, educated at Plymouth, and apprenticed to an accountant at Devonport.

He served for some years in the Royal Navy, and in 1887 married Harriett, daughter of Amos G. Goring.

In Australia Howard worked for some years as a copper, lead and zinc smelter. He became foreman for the Australian Smelting Co., and later for the South Australian and West Australian Governments. He studied chemistry at the Adelaide School of Mines and prospected for gold in the MacDonald Range. Howard came to Christchurch in 1902 and joined the Labour movement, in which he held every office from secretary of a union to secretary of the general labourers' union and eventually president of the national organisation. In 1919 he was elected to Parliament for Christchurch South, which he represented till his death (on 26 Apr 1939). Under the Labour Government (which came into office in 1935) he was chairman of committees and deputy-speaker. He was a member of the school committee, the boards of governors of Canterbury University College, the Technical College and the Agricultural College, of the Christchurch City Council, the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the Domain Board and the Repatriation Board.

N.Z.P.D., 1919-39; 30 Jun 1939; Who's Who N.Z., 1924, 1932; The Dominion and Evening Post, 27 Apr 1939 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 225

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