William Tanner (politician)

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.

For other politicians of this name, see William Tanner (disambiguation).

William Tanner
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Avon
In office
1893 – 1908
Preceded byEdwin Blake
Succeeded byGeorge Warren Russell
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Heathcote
In office
1890 – 1893
Preceded byFrederic Jones
Succeeded byelectorate abolished
Personal details
Born1851
Northamptonshire, England
Died1938 (aged 86–87)
Political partyLiberal (1905 onward)
ChildrenWalter Tanner

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][2]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1890–1893 11th Heathcote Liberal–Labour
1893–1896 12th Avon Liberal–Labour
1896–1899 13th Avon Liberal–Labour
1899–1902 14th Avon Liberal–Labour
1902–1905 15th Avon Liberal–Labour
1905–1908 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.[3]

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.[4]

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. 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. "New Member". Evening Star. 6 December 1890.
  3. Scholefield, Guy (1925) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 138.
  4. "Trades Council Platform". Lyttelton Times. 11 November 1902.
  • The New Liberal Party 1905 by G.F. Witcher (1966, MA(Hons) Thesis-University of Canterbury, Christchurch)
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  • Wood, G. Anthony, ed. (1996). Ministers and Members: In the New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: Otago University Press.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Frederic Jones		 Member of Parliament for Heathcote
1890–93		 Electorate abolished
Preceded by
Edwin Blake		 Member of Parliament for Avon
1893–1908		 Succeeded by
George Warren Russell
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