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William Downie Stewart Jr

New Zealand politician and writer (1878–1949) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam Nosworthy
Succeeded byJoseph Ward
Prime MinisterGeorge Forbes
Quick facts The Honourable, 24th Minister of Finance ...
The Honourable
William Downie Stewart Jr
24th Minister of Finance
In office
24 May 1926 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam Nosworthy
Succeeded byJoseph Ward
In office
22 September 1931 – 28 January 1933
Prime MinisterGeorge Forbes
Preceded byGeorge Forbes
Succeeded byGordon Coates
13th Attorney-General
In office
18 January 1926 – 24 May 1926
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byFrancis Bell
Succeeded byFrank Rolleston
In office
22 September 1931 – 28 January 1933
Prime MinisterGeorge Forbes
Preceded byThomas Sidey
Succeeded byGeorge Forbes
27th Minister of Justice
In office
26 November 1928 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byFrank Rolleston
Succeeded byThomas Wilford
12th Minister of Police
In office
26 November 1928 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byFrank Rolleston
Succeeded byThomas Wilford
16th Minister of Defence
In office
28 November 1928 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byFrank Rolleston
Succeeded byThomas Wilford
30th Minister of Customs
In office
9 March 1921 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterFrancis Bell
Gordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam Herries
Succeeded byWilliam Taverner
In office
22 September 1931 – 28 January 1933
Prime MinisterGeorge Forbes
Preceded byGeorge Forbes
Succeeded byGordon Coates
8th Minister of Industries and Commerce
In office
13 January 1923 – 24 May 1926
Prime MinisterWilliam Massey
Francis Bell
Gordon Coates
Preceded byErnest Lee
Succeeded byAlex McLeod
6th Minister of Revenue
In office
24 May 1926 – 10 December 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam Nosworthy
Succeeded byJoseph Ward
In office
22 September 1931 – 28 January 1933
Prime MinisterGeorge Forbes
Preceded byGeorge Forbes
Succeeded byGordon Coates
1st Minister of Statistics
In office
February 1922 – 27 June 1923
Prime MinisterWilliam Massey
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byRichard Bollard
7th Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
1 March 1921 – 27 June 1923
Prime MinisterWilliam Massey
Preceded byGeorge James Anderson
Succeeded byRichard Bollard
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Dunedin West
In office
1914–1935
Mayor of Dunedin
In office
1913–1914
Personal details
Born29 July 1878
Dunedin, New Zealand
Died29 September 1949(1949-09-29) (aged 71)
Dunedin, New Zealand
PartyReform
ParentWilliam Downie Stewart Sr (father)
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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 to 1894, he attended Otago Boys' High School and continued his studies at the University of Otago.[1]

Political career

More information Years, Term ...
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
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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

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