New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04
Lord Davenport
AS STRIKE BREAKER AND MAN OF THE HOUR
London. July II.

:. was known in official and business
",..,os His present popular fame Is
no ~ The fact that in days when most
men are content to talk he is content
=, act. 70 do his duty and say nothing.
head Of the Port Of London Author
-, no IS head of the shipping trade OF
1ordon. since the strike Of the Trans
art Workers began ne has been the
.rrsted leader cf the Employers. He
.os fought their fight. He has fought
.,s fight for the Port of London. He
hoe won it. With halfhearted support
r,on the Government he has stood like
d. rock between the Port and anarchy.
With the possible exception of NJ.
Thomas the South Wales mine owner.
he Is the one man among owners and
ar,pIoyers who has shown supreme ca
,acity and courage. He has been at
lacked. reviled, threatened, and has
horne il all in silence. He has been the
stil. strong man in a blatant land. By
5latant land I mean that East End of
London where Mr.. Costing and Mr..
Ben Thlett have borne sway. The
labor men in Parliament, many Radi-
Gals in Parliament, the Radical press
without exception, and one or two Con-
sentative journals OF sentimental AMI
uncertain minds, have criticised and
condemned him; apparently on account
Of the distress tho strikers have
brought on themselves. Until last
week M made no reply. and his reply
then was a simple business statement
az the causes which had led 10 the
strike, It's effects and the methods by
which II had been kept alive.
Of his personal reputation he took no
care. He cheerfully left that TO the
Judgment OF those who know. Even
when he submitted 10 an interview Il
the instance Of Mr.. Garvip he was
only concerned TO present the public
aspects of this struggle and 70 be
judged ny the facts. There are few
such men, and the! are worth studying,
and Lord Davenport is worth studying.
] bUOAiu soy lAlD S1AAAc hhlNASNCl CIV
he we're on. 1t happens, in order to
complete the irony of q situation with
which Liberal Government has sought
10 deal in the interests, largely, Of la
Dor that Lord Davenport is a Liberal
Peer. As 10 that, there is story 10
tell.
Lord Devonport's is not an inherited
title. He cannot cast back upon his
ancestors any part Of the obloquy to
which he is entitled as a Peer, and as
one OF that House OF Lords which this
Ministry has attacked and has also
continuously reinforced by the making
Of Liberal Commoners into more or less
Liberal Peers. I say more or less. The
wife Of & newly made Liberal Peer laid
down the rule which these recruits are
expected TO observe. There was re-
port-this was some years ago-that
her husband was about 70 cross tha
floor OF the Painted Chamber and 81;
on the Conservative benches.
No" said this lady, he is not He
win he loyal TO the Liberals till the
cad OF he first year. II is not eti-
guettc to rat until twelvemonth has
elapsed
Lord Devonporrs Peerage is two
ears old and ne is still good Lib
eral. / can imagine 1t would be JOY
70 the Radical Liberals if they could
bold him up to hatred as a Tory.
BY bIrth and baptism he was Hudson
Ewoanke Kearley; born il 1896. A
man Of business, head of great tea
importing firm, Kearley & Tonge; and
Of fortune, since the business OF tea
importing proved prosperous and lucra-
live. From 1892 20 1910 he sat for
Davenport. From 1905 to 1909 he was
Parliamentary Secretary TO the Board
VI Trade. During four OF those five
years the President Of the Board of
Trade was none other than Mr.. Lloyd
George, now Chancellor Of the Ex-
chequer. II you ask persons who know
you viii be told that the real business
head Of that great Department during
those years was not Mr.. Lloyd George,
but the Mr.. Kearley who is now Lord
Davenport; for the excellent reason
hat AIr. Kearley was g. man of bust
ass and Mr.. Lloyd George wss-weli,
vas d solicitor and politician. 1t was
Mr.. Kearley's occupation, and pre-
sumably his pleasure, 10 translate into
terms Of administration and Of legisla-
ion the schemes 10 which Mr.. Lloyd
Georges Welsh imagination-a par
ticularly fertile kind OF imagination
gave birth. This service Mr.. Kearley
did with such ability and with such a
modest indifference to fame that he
was presently made Baronet, and be-
came Sir Hudson Kearley. The honor
IL an unusual one for man in that
position, but nobody suggested that II
vas undeserved The distinction coin
cided, or nearly so, with his appoint
ment 10 be Chairman Of the Port OF
London Authority. II was the Board
OF Trade, where his abilities were best
understood, which made the appoint
ment. The Peerage was conferred il
1910, and that is when the story l re-
ferred 10 comes In.
Sir Hudson Kearley was marked out
by his wealth, by his services, and by
the dignity Of his position as head OF
the Authority, for a Peerage. Ii H.
houever understood that a good party