Frederic Lang Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Sir Frederic Lang
Order:8th Speaker of the House of Representatives
Primeminister:William Massey
Term Start:1913
Term End:1922
Predecessor:Arthur Guinness
Successor:Charles Statham
Parliament2:New Zealand
Term Start2:1893
Term End2:1896
Predecessor2:In abeyance
Successor2:In abeyance
Parliament3:New Zealand
Term Start3:1896
Term End3:1905
Predecessor3:Alfred Cadman
Successor3:Henry Greenslade
Parliament4:New Zealand
Term Start4:1906
Term End4:1922
Predecessor4:Matthew Kirkbride
Successor4:Bill Jordan
Birth Name:Frederic William Lang
Birth Date:1852
Birth Place:Blackheath, Kent, England
Death Date:5 March 1937
Death Place:Onehunga, New Zealand
Party:Reform

Sir Frederic William Lang (1852 – 5 March 1937) was a New Zealand politician, initially an independent conservative, then from 1914 a member of the Reform Party. He was the eighth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1913 to 1922.

Early life

Lang was born in Blackheath, Kent, England, in 1852.[1] He emigrated to New Zealand as a young man and settled in Tuhikaramea near present-day Temple View. He played football and represented the Auckland Province. He never married.

Around 1906, he sold his farm and moved to Onehunga.

Political career

Lang's political career started with his election to the Tuhikaramea Road Board. He was elected onto the Waipa County and became its chairman. He also belonged to the Waikato Charitable Aid Board.

He was the Member of Parliament for from 1893 to 1896; then Waikato from 1896 to 1905 when he was defeated; then Manukau from 6 December until 1922, when he was defeated. He was Chairman of Committees from 1912 to 1913. He then became Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1913 to 1922.

In 1913 as speaker, in response to filibusting by Āpirana Ngata, Lang introduced a rule that MPs who could speak in English must not speak te reo Māori and by 1920 Parliament no longer employed translators. The situation was reversed in the 1980s with the Māori Renaissance and the Maori Language Act 1987.[2]

He was knighted in 1916. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1924 and served for one term until 1931. In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[3]

Death

He died at his home in Onehunga on 5 March 1937.[4]

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: Sir Frederic Lang . 5 December 2013 . . 5 March 1937 . CXXIII . 54 . 10.
  2. Web site: Launch of Simultaneous Interpretation in the House. New Zealand Parliament . 18 July 2012.
  3. News: Official jubilee medals . 6 May 1935 . . 16 November 2013 . 4.
  4. News: Deaths . 5 March 1937 . . 16 November 2013 . 1.