James McCombs

James (Jimmy) McCombs (9 December 1873 – 2 August 1933) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton.

Early years
McCombs was born in County Leitrim, Ireland and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1876 as a three year old. He was educated at Sydenham School and Christchurch East School. He was involved in the temperance movement (with Tommy Taylor), the Progressive Liberal Association (with Harry Ell) and was a friend of George Laurenson. A successful businessman, McCombs owned a drapery in Christchurch. He served on the Christchurch City Council between 1913–17 and 1931-1933. In the 1908 general election, McCombs stood in Christchurch East as an Independent Liberal candidate; at the 1911 contest for Avon he was a Liberal-Labour candidate polling 2,817 votes to the official Labour candidate's 798 on the first ballot.

Member of Parliament
James McCombs represented the Lyttelton electorate for 20 years from the 1913 by-election (following the death of George Laurenson). The 1925 general election was contested by Melville Lyons and the incumbent, McCombs. The original count resulted in a tie of 4,900 votes each. The returning officer gave his casting vote to Lyons and declared him elected. A recount was demanded, and on 3 December 1925, an amended result of 4,890 votes for Lyons and 4,884 votes for McCombs was determined, with the differences in the counts explained by counting informal votes in a different way. Lyons' election was declared void on 13 March 1926, and McCombs was restored as the holder of the electorate.

McCombs found it difficult to support a family and maintain homes in Wellington and Christchurch on a MP’s salary of £8.10.0 a week. Once when rushing to get the ferry home, his suitcase flew open and several rolls of toilet paper fell out. Subsequently Parliament got toilet paper in paper squares instead of rolls.

McCombs held the electorate until 1933, when he died in office. The electorate was then held by his wife Elizabeth McCombs from 1933 to 1935, and his son Terry McCombs from 1935 to 1951.

Independent Labourite
McCombs was the first president of the New Zealand Labour Party in 1916. In the following year, he resigned the presidency and his membership of the Labour Party over the state control of liquor issue. He rejoined the party in 1918. During the 1920s McCombs with Dan Sullivan led the opposition to Harry Holland within the Parliamentary Labour Party caucus.

Death
He died at Christchurch on 2 August 1933 from heart failure.