Background
Smith was born in New Plymouth in 1879. She was a daughter of G H Herbert of the Royal Engineers.
Smith was born in New Plymouth in 1879. She was a daughter of G H Herbert of the Royal Engineers.
He enjoyed rugby during his youth, and later became an administrator for the sport for the Taranaki Region. They had three children: Rosa Maud (b 1902), Ethel Mary (b 1905), and Edward George (b 1906). Smith remarried on 25 February 1915, to Catherine (Kate) Bint, again at Street Mary"s Church.
Kate Bint was born in July 1892 at Tarata in Taranaki, some 18 kilometres (11 mi) by road west of Inglewood.
He worked in the New Zealand Railways for 20 years, and for 13 years held office in the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Smith held various offices with trade unions.
He was on the New Plymouth Borough Council. He had interests in education.
Smith successfully contested the Taranaki electorate in a by-election in 1918 (following the death of Henry Okey) as an Independent Labour candidate.
Smith sat together with the other Labour MPs in Parliament but always stressed his independence. Soon after entering the house Member of Parliament Charles Wilkinson referred to Labour Party leader Alfred Hindmarsh as the "leader" of Smith. In reply Smith said "You leave the member for Taranaki alone, he will choose his own leader."
He was confirmed at the 1919 election, and in 1922 election successfully stood as a Liberal-Labour candidate.
In 1925 he stood unsuccessfully for New Plymouth for the Liberal Party.
He was successful in 1928 and returned to Parliament for the United Party until he was defeated at the 1938 election by Labour candidate Frederick Frost. Smith was Minister of Labour and Minister of Mines in the United Government from 28 May 1930 to 22 September 1931.
He was Minister of Education in the United/Reform Coalition from 22 November 1934 to 6 December 1935. He was Chairman of Committees from 11 December 1928 to 28 May 1930, and again from 27 October 1931 to 12 February 1935.
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Meda
Quotations: "You leave the member for Taranaki alone, he will choose his own leader.".