THOMAS, JAMES HENRY (1874- ), British Labour leader, was born at Newport, Mon., on Oct. 3, 1874. He started work as an errand boy at the age of 9 and was later employed by the Great Western railway as an engine cleaner ; he rose rapidly and soon became a power in Swindon (the G.W.R. headquarters) both as a trade unionist and in local government.
By 19io lie had become president of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and played a leading part in its reorganization as the National Union of Railwaymen of which he was appointed general secretary after the great railway strike of 1911. Under him the N.U.R. became the leader in the policy of "industrial" or "all grades" as against "craft" trade unionism.
Thomas was elected member for Derby in 1910 and appointed to the privy council in 1917. He refused to enter the Coalition government. He was president and chairman of the parliamentary committee of the Trades Union Congress (192o-21) and president of the International Federation of Trade Unions (192o-24).
In the Labour government of 1924 Thomas was secretary for the colonies; and in that of 1929 was, first, lord privy seal and minister of employment, and in 193o secretary of state for the Dominions. He retained this office in the National government of 1931, and consequently resigned his office in the N.U.R. In Nov. 1935 he became Colonial secretary. In 1936 it was found that Thomas had been, to some extent at least, responsible for a serious leakage of information concerning the budget before the date of its publication; and in consequence he resigned from the cabinet and from the house of commons on May 2 2 and June II respectively, 1936.