Frederic Lang

Sir Frederic William Lang (1852 – 5 March 1937) was a New Zealand politician, from 1909 a member of the Reform Party, he was the eighth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1913 to 1922.

The Honourable Sir Frederic Lang
8th Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office 26 June 1913 – 31 October 1922
Prime Minister	William Massey
Preceded by	Arthur Guinness
Succeeded by	Charles Statham
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Manukau
In office 6 December 1906 – 7 December 1922
Preceded by	Matthew Kirkbride
Succeeded by	Bill Jordan
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Waikato
In office 4 December 1896 – 6 December 1905
Preceded by	Alfred Cadman
Succeeded by	Henry Greenslade
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Waipa
In office 28 November 1893 – 4 December 1896
Preceded by	In abeyance
Succeeded by	In abeyance
Personal details
Born	Frederic William Lang 1852 Blackheath, Kent, England
Died	5 March 1937 Onehunga, New Zealand
Political party	Reform
Occupation	Farmer

Early life

Lang was born in Blackheath, Kent, England, in 1852.^[1] He was the youngest of six children born to Oliver William Lang and Louisa Lang (née Briggs). His father, a Master Shipwright of HM Dockyard, Chatham and Lieutenant colonel of the Royal Dockyard Brigade, died in 1868 and his mother also died in 1869. In 1872 Lang emigrated to New Zealand, aged 19, and settled as a farmer in Tuhikaramea close to the Waipā River.^[2]

In 1878 and again in 1880-82 Lang played for the Waikato District rugby team as a forward along with playing for a Civilians side, Ngahinepouri, Ōhaupō, Te Awamutu and Waipā teams. He played cricket and was captain of the Ngahinepouri side, played for Alexandra and was a member of the Waikato Cricket Association.^[2] He played football and represented the Auckland Province in 1880.^[1]

Around 1906, he sold his farm and moved north to Onehunga. He never married.^[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1893–1896	12th	Waipa			Conservative
1896–1899	13th	Waikato			Conservative
1899–1902	14th	Waikato			Conservative
1902–1905	15th	Waikato			Conservative
1906–1908	16th	Manukau			Conservative
1908–1911	17th	Manukau			Conservative
1911–1914	18th	Manukau			Reform
1914–1919	19th	Manukau			Reform
1919–1922	20th	Manukau			Reform

Lang's political career started with his election to the Tuhikaramea Road Board. He was elected onto the Waipa County and became its chairman for six years. He also belonged to the Waikato Charitable Aid Board.^[1]

He was the Member of Parliament for Waipa from 1893 to 1896; then Waikato from 1896 to 1905 when he was defeated; then Manukau from 6 December 1906 until 1922, when he was defeated.^[3] He was Chairman of Committees from 1912 to 1913.^[4] He then became Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1913 to 1922.^[5]

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.^[6]

He was knighted in 1916.^[3] He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1924 and served for one term until 1931.^[7] In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.^[8]

Death

He died at his home in Onehunga on 5 March 1937.^[9]