Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Mr. James Frederick Arnold

Mr. James Frederick Arnold was first elected to the House of Representatives as one of the members for the city of Dunedin, in 1899, and was re-elected in 1902, as junior member, with 8,393 votes; a greater number than that secured by the senior member for any of the other cities. Mr. Arnold was born in St. Peter's Port, [gap — reason: illegible], in 1859, and is a son of the late Mr. Julius Arnold, who was a member of the legal profession. In 1864 he came to New Zealand, with his parents, and at the age of sixteen was apprenticed to the clicking branch of the bootmaking trade in christchurch, where he remained eight years. During that time he became an active member of several social organisations, and passed through the various ohairs in the Independent Order of Good Templars, and the Ancient Order of Foresters. In 1882 he removed to Dunedin under engagement to Messrs Sargood, Son and Ewen, in whose employment he continued till his first election to the House of Representatives. In 1896 he was selected to conduct the bootmakers' dispute before the Board of Conciliation and Court of Arbitration held in Christchurch, and came to be spoken of as the “bootmakers' lawyer.” Mr. Arnold was made President of the Bootmakers' Union in 1899, and has since represented it on the Workers' Political Committee, and on the Trades and Labour Council. He was for several years a member of the Executive of the Dunedin Technical Classes' Association, for which he worked hard privately, and in Parliament, and was for some time a member of the Mornington school committee. For six years he was a member of the Mornington Borough Council, and, in 1901. successfully piloted through Parliament a Bill to enable that Council to acquire the property of the Mornington Tramway Company. He is an Oddfellow and Freemason. Mr. Arnold was a member of the parliamentary party which visited the Cook Islands for the purpose of familiarising themselves with the nature and needs of that group. He was married, in 1884, to Miss Isabella Lawden, and has two daughters.