AN HONOURED CIVIL SERVANT.
[To TEE EDITOR Or TEE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The memorial service at St. Margaret's Church on Thursday for the late Mr. Arthur Wilson Fox, Comptroller- General of the Commercial, Labour, and Statistical Depart- ment of the Board of Trade, revealed the extent to which a Civil servant, the greater part of whose work was, in the nature of things, bidden from the publics gaze, had impressed his personality and his very real patriotism upon his day and generation. For those who had some intimacy with interests which especially engaged his enthusiasm there was a peculiar fitness in the presence at that service of representatives of Labour organisations and Trade-Unions. When the form of that permanent memorial of a singularly successful official career which has already been spoken of comes to be definitely decided, the foremost place which the Labour Department bad in Wilson Fox's thoughts aud aspirations will assuredly be remembered. It was to the avoidance of those terrible tragedies of industrial life, strikes and lock- outs, that the Comptroller-General gave generously of his essentially practical sympathy and inspired genius for con- ciliation of recent years, and in this direct and far-reaching service of humanity that he spent his waning strength at the last. So far as the "Parliament of Labour" at Ports- mouth has gone at the time of writing, no official sign has been given that the loss of this great friendship is mourned as it merited; but among those picked representatives of the workpeople who came into contact with Wilson Fox as late as the dark industrial November- of 1908, on Tyneside, on Clyde- side, in Cottonopolis, and in the great engineering centres, the sense of personal loss is keen. To come under the spell of the genial, tactful personality was to lose the last shred of prejudice against "officialism," and to realise the
nobly humane motive and influence behind the Conciliation Board.
If this was the side of his pleasing personality which the Comptroller-General turned to those who came to him "on official businees," it will readily be understood that relations between Wilson Fox and his colleagues attained a degree of Perfection which fell so little short of personal affection as to beggar common forms of expression. He was served with a loyalty Which 'reflected his own implicit trust in every man to whom he confided responsibility. No exertion "for the Board" failed of recognition. The readiest and the warmest praise for every subordinate's success came from the magnanimous "chief." It was this lovable soul whom the Civil Service mourned at St. Margaret's on Thursday, and Britain may be proud that she breeds such heroes for the quiet, unblazoned ranks of her public service.—I am, Si", Sul, X.
Previous page
