Arthur Shapton Richards

Arthur Shapton Richards
Arthur Shapton Richards
Member of the New Zealand Parliament; for Mount Albert
	In office; 27 November 1946 – 5 August 1947
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Warren Freer
Member of the New Zealand Parliament; for Roskill
	In office; 2 December 1931 – 27 November 1946
Preceded by	George Munns
Succeeded by	Frank Langstone
Personal details
Born	1877; Reading, Berkshire, England
Died	5 August 1947; New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Elizabeth Warneford
Children	3

Arthur Shapton Richards (1877 – 5 August 1947) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life

He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England and came to New Zealand in 1894, first at Gisborne and then Poverty Bay where he worked on sheep farms. In 1903 he married Elizabeth Warneford. He briefly moved to Wanganui in 1908 where he founded Wanganui Branch of New Zealand Socialist Party before returning to Gisborne where he became President of East Coast Trades Council and was also Secretary of Gisborne Hotel Workers' Union from 1911 to 1917. He was Gisborne Drivers' Union delegate to the 1913 Unity Congress. In 1922 he moved to Auckland.^[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate
1931–1935	24th	Roskill	Labour
1935–1938	25th	Roskill	Labour
1938–1943	26th	Roskill	Labour
1943–1946	27th	Roskill	Labour
1946–1947	28th	Mount Albert	Labour

Richards unsuccessfully stood for the Auckland City Council on a Labour ticket in the 1923 local elections.^[2]

He stood unsuccessfully in the Hamilton electorate in 1922, Marsden in 1925,^[3] and Roskill in 1928.^[4] He contested Roskill again at the subsequent general election in 1931 and this time, he was successful. He held Roskill until 1946, when he successfully transferred to the "safe" (for Labour) Mount Albert electorate in the 1946 general election.

Following an electoral redistribution the Roskill electorate remained, but 75% of its area became the new Mount Albert electorate. Consequently Richards thought that Mount Albert would be the more suitable electorate for him to represent. He won selection over Martyn Finlay, Tom Skinner and Frank Langstone (Langstone would in turn replace Richards in Roskill).^[5] He died in office on 5 August 1947.^[6] His death caused the 1947 by-election, which was won by Warren Freer.^[7]

He was the senior Government whip from 1942 until his death, and was succeeded in that position by his deputy, Robert Macfarlane.^[8]

He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935.^[9]

Death

Richards died on 5 August 1947 after an illness extending over several weeks. He was survived by his wife, son and two daughters.^[10]

In recognition of Richards' work in establishing state housing in Mount Roskill, Auckland, the Arthur S Richards Memorial Park was named in his honour.^[11]

Notes

^ Gustafson 1986, p. 295.
^ "Electoral". Vol. LX, no. 18387. The New Zealand Herald. 1 May 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
^ The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 1. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
^ "The Next Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXVIII, no. 21046. 3 December 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
^ Verran, David (2004). "Bank Nationalisation and Conscription, 1944 -1949". Retrieved 17 August 2019.
^ Wilson 1985, p. 230.
^ Wilson 1985, p. 198.
^ Wilson 1985, pp. 280–281.
^ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
^ "Fatal Illness – Member for Mt. Albert – Death of Mr A. S. Richards". Otago Daily Times. No. 26532. 6 August 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
^ Reidy, Jade (2013). Not Just Passing Through: the Making of Mt Roskill (2nd ed.). Auckland: Puketāpapa Local Board. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-927216-97-2. OCLC 889931177. Wikidata Q116775081.

References

Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by George Munns	Member of Parliament for Roskill 1931–1946	Succeeded by Frank Langstone
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Mount Albert 1946–1947	Succeeded by Warren Freer
Party political offices
Preceded by James O'Brien	Senior Whip of the Labour Party 1942–1947	Succeeded by Robert Macfarlane

[FOOTNOTEGustafson1986295-1] Gustafson 1986, p. 295.

[Council-2] "Electoral". Vol. LX, no. 18387. The New Zealand Herald. 1 May 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 12 September 2018.

[1925_election-3] The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 1. Retrieved 20 November 2014.

[1931_bio_sketch-4] "The Next Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXVIII, no. 21046. 3 December 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 25 December 2014.

[5] Verran, David (2004). "Bank Nationalisation and Conscription, 1944 -1949". Retrieved 17 August 2019.

[FOOTNOTEWilson1985230-6] Wilson 1985, p. 230.

[FOOTNOTEWilson1985198-7] Wilson 1985, p. 198.

[FOOTNOTEWilson1985280–281-8] Wilson 1985, pp. 280–281.

[9] "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2014.

[10] "Fatal Illness – Member for Mt. Albert – Death of Mr A. S. Richards". Otago Daily Times. No. 26532. 6 August 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 23 June 2020.

[Roskill-11] Reidy, Jade (2013). Not Just Passing Through: the Making of Mt Roskill (2nd ed.). Auckland: Puketāpapa Local Board. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-927216-97-2. OCLC 889931177. Wikidata Q116775081.

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