A few days ago, a distinguished Guyanese departed from among us. He was Ashton Chase, a trade unionist and member of the legal profession. I see him as a pupil, sometimes I said as a disciple of the late Hubert Critchlow, in whose time he was a junior member and perhaps an official of the British Guiana Labour Union founded by Critchlow.
Ashton Chase was one of the six ministers chosen by the People’s Progressive Party in 1953, in the short-lived government which was suspended by the British after they “invaded” the country. Of course, they did not invade. It was their country and they just forward marched.
It was Ashton Chase, who as Minister of Labour, who had piloted the contentious Labour Relations Bill designed to give recognition to the union in the industry with the majority of members, the Guiana Industrial Workers Union.
When an individual like Ashton Chase has lived for 96 years, it becomes challenging to depend on a single source for obtaining accurate information about them. Consequently, some of the statements presented here may not have been expressed by his current colleagues who regard him as a fellow member, such as those from the PPP.
Ashton Chase was the most industrious, educated, and careful of ministers in line of his ministerial responsibilities. This was fortunate because, you see, when LFS Burnham came back from England, and considered getting into politics, he and Ashton Chase were very close. I think it was Ashton Chase and a man named A McLean who introduced Burnham to the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU) that Burnham became president. I know in that period before 1953, that combination of Chase, Burnham, and McLean achieved much. It was very active and dealt with a whole series of disputes with the powerful management of the waterfront.
I had the honour of working together with the distinguished Guyanese in the PAC (the Political Affairs Committee) of which he, Cheddi and Janet Jagan, and Hubbard were the full founders (other forgotten members of the PAC were Boysie Ramkarran and the poet Martin Carter). After that, I was his colleague in the Council of Ministers of 1953, and finally in NAACIE, of which Chase was president.
Seldom mentioned is the fact that Ashton Chase was a graduate of Ruskin College, Oxford, founded in the 1890s to celebrate the English philosopher of art and architecture John Ruskin, who recognised the culture of the workers.
The late Ashton Chase emerged early as an intellectual of the working class. He wrote “A History of Trade Unionism in Guyana” and soon after the suspension of the constitution in 1953 he published “133 Days toward Freedom in Guiana” which offered concrete information about governmental activity in that short period.
On behalf of our small household, I offer deepest sympathy to the family and all bereaved of the passing of Ashton Chase.
Yours truly,
Eusi Kwayana
