- James Thorn
James Thorn (1882 – 1956) was a
New Zealand politician of the Social Democratic Party and the Labour Party.He was born in Christchurch, educated at
Christchurch Boys High School . He was a bugler in the thirdNew Zealand Contingent to the Boer War in 1900-01; the experience turned him into a pacifist.He worked in the
Addington Workshops and as a journalist. He was engaged in union and party activity, including 1909-13 in England and Scotland. He became an organiser and candidate for the Social Democratic Party then the Labour Party. He was imprisoned for opposing conscription in World War I.He represented the electorate of Thames from 1935 to 1946 when the seat was abolished. From 1947 to 1950 he was High Commissioner to Canada, and was President of
UNESCO in 1949.External links
* [http://www.geocities.com/nzhistory/Biographies/thorn_jim.htm Biography and photo at Union website]
* [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/T/ThornJames/ThornJames/en Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966: James Thorn]References
*"New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840-1984" by J. O. Wilson (1985, Government Printer, Wellington)
*"From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage" by Barry Gustafson (1986, Reed Methuen, Auckland) ISBN 0474001385 (with Biographical Appendix)
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
