Evening star., 1924-01-07
nv THE nAnaUrsE DE E,roNrENoY.

with the elevation of Sir Frederick
Banbury to the peerase on the occa-
sion of the New Year, the House OF
Commons loses one OF its most IA
miliar and Characteristic. figures and
veterans, for he had been a member
Of 10 for more than thirty years. and
sduring the greater part OF that time
he had been one of the two repre-
ser,tattves OF the city OF London. As
such he had enjoyed the time e-honored
prerogatiye Of occupying a seat on
the treasury bench; that is to say.
amidst the members OF the cabinet
in once on the opening day of each
session.
It is doubtful whether the lower
house. will regret his loss, for, where
as everybody lends, willing ear to
what he had to say in the city as
great business man, as banking
n1agnate, as president Of the Great
Northern Railroad of England and
as the former head of one OF the
ing concerns in the metropolis, his
ueterancess in Parliament almost in
yariably cleared the house. Indeed,
Whenever the word was passed that
"Banbury's UP" there was general
-sauve qui peut." He was. never
the day, with the most elaborate
-fashioned courtesy. 1t Is. true on
the score of its alleged prolfxity, and
waste Of time OF the house In use
less DISCUSSIONS Yet there was, no
man who was more dreaded alike by
political friends and foe, by. reason
OF ;his own prolixity and irrelevancy.
He would seize upon. any pretext to
treat the house to a prolonged ora
ton, delivered In a droning voice, In
valuable when. tor. considerat ton of
to waste time, But otherwise terri
Bile and slumher-inviting pore. IN
deed, by many he used to be known
as the arch obstructor OF the house
Of commons.
The son and grandson Of a London
banker, and educated at Winchester,
he is now ip his seventy-third year,
and has on two separate. occasions
been responsible For political events
which will make his name go down
in the annals OF parliament. On :one
occasion his vote was the casting one
which led to the defeat of the gov
eminent Of the day, while last year
the Right Hon. Reginald McKenna,
who was chancellor " Of : the ex-
chequer. in AsQuith.s administration
and who Is :: well known In Amer
lea as the greatest banking magnate
OF the United Kingdom, had agreed
to join the Baldwin cabinet II he
could be elected : to parliament with
out any contest. -. -
The great business. elements IN
~ tn mn NJ
ANTIQUE to have McKenna join the
Raidwin cabinet as chancellor of the
e1cheouer, by reason of their pro-
found respect for his unrtvaled ex-
pef1e1ce and acumen IN all financial
Commercial and economic matters.
Trederick Banbury and the Baldwin
rovernment suggested to him. that
he should surrender hts seat in the
commons to McKenua and accept a
SoueA but at the time Sir Frederick
would not hear of the matter. He
was far too fmbued with the belief
IN his own pre-eminence In finance
and. busineis matters generally to ad-
init Of the svpsriority OF .Mckennas is,e ma
iAte Joseph Chamberlain twenty
wars aeo. TO tariff reform and a
Certain oualifed: form Of protection,
he. was convinced that It would. be
wicked for him to- facilitafe the re-
:f,,rn to ministerial power of. so con-
iirmed O free trader as McKenna.
Go the latter declined to Join the
adndnistration, and still remains at
the head Of the City and Midland
,Haiik combination, the greatest bank
ing aaialsarnation sof the United
Z M - *x -
II McKenna. had accepted and en-
Tered the now outgoing cabinet at
the. time when he was invited to join
':it last year, ft may safely be taken
for granted that Baldwin would never
nave, committed himself % Trasfly
and inopportunefy in November to q
policy of protection, which took even
eorns of hip closest tVoliticaL aaD6ci.