Obituaries Australia

After a brief illness, Mr. William Price, of 50 Evans-street, Shenton Park, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly for Albany, died at a private hospital yesterday at the age of 68 years. He had had an active military and political career, and at the time of his death was a timekeeper and costs clerk on the staff of the Main Roads Board, having served in that capacity throughout the work of widening Stirling-highway. He suffered an attack of acute appendicitis last Thursday, and underwent an operation, from which he did not recover.

A native of Chepstow, South Wales, where he was educated, the late Mr. Price migrated to Australia and landed at Brisbane in 1885 at the age of 16. He spent some years in the bush in Queensland until he secured a clerical position at Forbes, N.S.W. He came to Western Australia in 1896, and was engaged in mining and prospecting on the Eastern Goldfields until, in 1904, he joined the staff of the Kalgoorlie "Sun." Later he was employed on the staff of "Truth," Perth. In 1909 he won the Albany seat in the Assembly, which he retained after his enlistment for active service. In August, 1917, he cabled to the late Mr. J. Scaddan that he would not be standing for re-election. The late Mr. Scaddan contested the seat, but it was won by the late Mr. H. Robinson, who died two years later, and Mr. Scaddan then won the seat.

An active participation in industrial spheres marked the earlier part of the late Mr. Price's career. In 1899 he became organiser of the General Labourers' Union in the western district of Queensland, and later held a similar post with the Australian Shearers' Union in New South Wales. While in Western Australia he was a member of the Miners and General Workers' Union and president of the Shearers' Union. In 1898 he organised the first branch of the Australian Workers' Association in the Leonora and Mt. Morgan districts, and at the time of his death was a vice-president of the Clerks' Union and a delegate to the metropolitan council of the Australian Labour Party.

The late Mr. Price obtained a commission in the 28th Battalion, A.I.F. in 1915, and went on active service in the same year. When in Egypt he was transferred to the Camel Corps, and subsequently to the 47th Battalion, with which he served in France until, in 1916, he was gassed at Pozieres and was invalided to England. In October, 1917, he was attached to the A.I.F. Depot at Tidworth, and in the following January became adjutant of the No. 4 Command Depot, gaining his captaincy soon afterwards. In 1919 he was appointed camp commandant of the A.I.F. Depot at Hurdcott, receiving the rank of member of the military division of the Order of the British Empire, and being brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered. After serving as recreational training officer and in the Demobilisation Department, he returned to Australia as adjutant of a transport in 1920. He spent a few months in Western Australia, and then went to London, where he served for five years on the staff of the Empire Parliamentary Association. Returning to Australia in 1930, he joined the outside staff of the Main Roads Department.

The first wife of the late Mr. Price was Miss Lorley, of Forbes, N.S.W., who died in 1914. While in England about 13 years ago he married Miss Jones, of Port Talbot, Wales, who survives him. He leaves also three daughters of the first marriage—Mrs. Keith Cummings (wife of the famous West Australian violinist in England), Mrs. J. E. Mitchell, of Rankinroad, Subiaco, and Miss Bertha Price, on the staff of the Main Roads Department, Perth—and a son of the second marriage, William, a pupil at the Claremont Central State school.

The late Mr. Price was president of the West Perth sub-branch of the Returned Soldiers' League, a member of the Anzac Club, a vice-president of the Claremont Parents and Teachers' Association, and a member of Lodge Bonnie Doon of Freemasons. The funeral will take place at 4 pm. today at the Presbyterian Cemetery, Karrakatta