James Howard Pim

James Howard Pim

Ireland, Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911

Name: James Howard Pim

Gender: Male

Birth Date: 27 Sep 1862

Birth Place: Greythorn, Dublin, Ireland

Father's Name: James Pim

Mother's Name: Elizabeth Fayle

FHL Film Number: 571399

Dictionary of South African Biography Vol 1 - page 916

Dictionary of South African Biography Vol 1920 © 2010 Ancestry24 1.16.7 Pim, James Howard (*Greythorn, Kingston, co. Dublin, Ire. 27.9.1862 - † Johannesburg, 28.4.1934), accountant, artist and philanthropist, was the son of James Pim and Elizabeth Evans, his wife. He was educated at Trinity college, Dublin, where he was awarded the gold medal for mathematics and science, and graduated as an M.A., adopting accountancy as a profession. He came to South Africa in November 1890 and was employed by C. J. Rhodes* to organize the accounting of the British South Africa company. To do this he v...

http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventory.php?iid=6829

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

JAMES HOWARD PIM 1862-1934

J.R.Pim was born on 27 September 1862 at Greythorn, County Dublin, the son of James and Elizabeth Pim, and was educated privately at Trintiy College, Dublin, where he distinguished himself in Science and Mathematics. He graduated M.A., took up the profession of accountancy and came to South Africa in 1890 to organize the accounting system of the British South Africa Company. He practised in Kimberley, where he was besieged during the Anglo-Boer War, and in Johannesburg, founding the firm Howard Pim and Hardy.

Pim was a man of many and varied interests, active in Johannesburg municipal affairs, serving on the first elected Town Council and organizing the raising of the first municipal loans. He was interested throughout his life in politics, particularly race relations and native welfare. For his service on several important commissions he was awarded a C.B.E. in 1919. He was a founder member of both the Joint Council of Europeans and Africans and the South African Institute of Race Relations. One of his last public acts was to draw up the report on the economic position of the Transkei, under the auspices of the Carnegie Commission.

His other interests were education, art and literature. He helped to found in Johannesburg the Public Library, Art Gallery, Bridgman Memorial Hospital (the first non-white maternity home in Johannesburg) and Bantu Men's Social Centre and also the Fort Hare Native College in the Cape Province. A life-long quaker, he assisted those in need of all races. He married Rosamund Undecima Bere in 1898 and had one son and two daughters. He died on 29 April 1934.

Full details of Pim's life can be found in the Dictionary of South African Biography, Vol.1. Edited W.J.de Kock

Through His brother, Sir Alan William Pim (1670- 1958; a distinguished colonial civil servant), Pim became well informed on Indian affairs and on the question of the Protectorates of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861-1941

Pim James Howard of Timewell Parktown Johannesburg South Africa died 28 April 1934. Administration (with Will) (limited) London 12 November to John Brinkler Woodthorpe chartered accountant attorney of John Lawton Hardy and Grigualand West Board of Executors Trust and Agency Company Limited. Effects £55 4s 6d

http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-SouthAfrica/Local%20Assets/Documents/Chapter7.pdf

Howard Pim

“When Bantu history is written, we shall certainly see to it that the name of Howard Pim has a place among the great liberators like Lincoln and Wilberforce.” Spoken in a grateful and deeply felt tribute at Pim’s funeral in 1934, these words by JR Rathebe, secretary of the Bantu Men’s Social Centre that Pim helped found, reflect but a faint image of the monumental work Pim undertook in what today we would call “transformation.”

Howard Pim was born and raised a Quaker, with rock-solid and completely inflexible values, beliefs and principles, which infused his every word and action. Unlike most immigrants, temporary or permanent, who flooded South Africa from Britain and Europe, and saw indigenous South Africans as primitive, even barbaric, inferior and there as a conveniently cheap source of labour, Pim regarded them as integral parts of the complex South African fabric, who should be helped to take their rightful part in all socio-economic matters. This made him highly unpopular. His outspokenness, to the point of bluntness - he did not practice the gentle art of diplomacy - made him uncomfortable to be around. Generally, of course, those with rigid, strict convictions make others feel awkward, intimidated and frequently therefore, angry.

If Pim was aware of it, and as a very astute business person, entrepreneur and brilliant accountant, he must have been, he didn’t care. He never let animosity, opposition, virulent objections and rabidly negative action against him impinge in the slightest on his beliefs and way of life. Not a great recipe for popularity!

Articled to Coopers in 1883 at the age of 21, he was admitted as associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales three years later. He was sent to America from 1889 to 1890 on behalf of Coopers and in 1890, met up with Cecil John Rhodes who was so impressed by his character and qualities that he invited him to go to South Africa to sort out the finances of his British South Africa Company.

Extremely successful in the work he accomplished for Rhodes, which involved significant travel to Bechuanaland, Mashonaland and Matabeleland, he was made joint auditor of De Beers while working with Cooper Brothers, opening an office in Kimberley in 1893. Very quick to perceive the burgeoning possibilities in a mining town that was exploding with the influx of entrepreneurs, adventurers, families looking for a new life, investors, miners and business, he appointed WD Morton as his representative in Kimberley and opened up an office in Johannesburg in 1894. The time and efforts he dedicated to this practice rather than to Kimberley, were eventually to be a source of much complaint and irritation in his future relationship with another auditor who worked with him, Philip Salisbury, from all accounts a somewhat irascible man. It is easy to imagine the sparks flying as their equally flinty characters came into opposition!

When Coopers resigned the De Beers audit, considering it at that time inconsequential (a decision no doubt bitterly regretted today!), Pim was approached to undertake the audit in his own capacity, with Philip Salisbury, also operating in his own capacity, as joint auditor.

Though he set up a partnership with Thomas Douglas in 1898, it lasted only three years before being dissolved - while history doesn’t record the reasons, one is tempted to suspect that his inflexibility and outspoken views on politics could well be at the foot of it. These were the years of the Anglo-Boer War and its immediate aftermath, and no doubt Pim would not have been unsparing of his opinions on the way the defeated Afrikaners were treated, though he too participated on the English side. He acted as lieutenant, captain and commander-in-charge of part of the town’s defences, thus demonstrating his remarkable leadership abilities.

The direct consequence of that war was the closure of the mines - the very mainstay of the Transvaal economy of the time. This threw thousands and thousands of poor blacks into the streets and with no literacy or numeracy skills, and of course nothing in the way of savings and assets, they either had to return to poverty stricken rural areas, or scratch about for a living in the towns. As Pim commented, “Life was hard for the poor whites, but for the poor blacks it was nothing more than hell.”

Safety and labour standards in the mines were non-existent - working conditions must have been appalling. Were it not for the destitution of many, no black would have volunteered to become a miner. In fact, thousands voted with their feet when the mines were re-opened and the mining companies became desperate for employees. Casting about for solutions, the mining magnates hit upon the ingenious (to them) idea of importing cheap labour from China - a country of teeming millions, all eager to make a new and improved life for themselves. The wages they would receive in South Africa would appear princely in comparison with what they could hope to earn in China. Pim was aghast. Already painfully aware of the deep divisions between black and white in the country, he realized that the addition of yet another racial group, also perceived as inferior, and from a culture totally incomprehensible to both black and white, would add a dangerously volatile ingredient to the existing tensions. He made no bones about his opposition to the move, completely disregarding the negative impact it would have on his - numerous - clients in the mining industry. In fact, incensed by his fierce and unbridled resistance to the importing of 50 000 Chinese, they had no hesitation in informing him that his services as auditor were no longer required.

Thus was coined the term “Pimmed” - meaning to be fired for standing up for one’s principles.

Undaunted, and in fact, probably spurred on by this reaction, Pim kept up his campaign, harnessing the support of liberal forces who perceived the Chinese as slave labour, being exploited unmercifully for their ignorance and desperation. Neville Pickering, secretary of De Beers, protested that Pim was in blatant confrontation with the company and its interests - but his attempt to oust Pim from the audit failed. Eventually, the Chinese were repatriated, with only some 2 000 remaining in the country.

Being a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Pim appreciated the vital role such a body had to play within the profession and was actively involved in the creation of the Transvaal Society of Chartered Accountants, which was founded in 1904. So prominent were his position and reputation that his name fi gures right at the top of the list of registered CAs in the Transvaal and he was unanimously elected fi rst president. Pim’s views on the role of an auditor would find much acclaim in the modern world - as not merely a rubber stamp, but a close partner and adviser, one who had insight into business operations and could provide shareholders with a more comprehensive understanding of their business with which they could make informed decisions. He

believed firmly that every man had a bounden duty to serve his community and society at large, and became actively involved in countless activities to improve and enrich the lives of individuals and groups within it.

These beliefs were inculcated in his children, Montague, Huldah and Joane. Though Monty, as he was fondly called, joined his father’s firm, he never qualified as a chartered accountant, a source of great

disappointment to Pim. But as Monty wrote to his father in 1933, “I think also that whereas I might pass muster as a bookkeeper, I should not do as an accountant.”

Following the family service ethic, Huldah founded an organization called “The Serviceable Sisters,” an appellation which in those old-fashioned times did not raise the eyebrows it would today. It in fact assisted housewives with childcare, transport and general moral support. Joane became a landscape architect. The town of Welkom, which boasts some of the best laid-out parks and gardens, is indebted to her work, which is commemorated by a plaque in the middle of the town circle.

Nominated by Lord Milner to the Town Council in 1903 and elected that same year, Pim also became chairman of the Finance Committee and in 1904, deputy mayor of Johannesburg. His cultural initiatives were legion, including his support of Lady Phillip’s aim to establish an art gallery, on whose committee he served as chairman, and the creation of the Johannesburg Public Library. Himself a lover of literature, art and culture, he wrote to Smuts, “No extravagance can apply to the library - it is so benefiting to the community”, and put his beliefs into practice by acting as honorary treasurer and chairman on the committee. He sponsored South African artists and eventually donated his magnificent and valuable collection to the Johannesburg art gallery, which he had helped to found, including works by Rembrandt, Corot, Turner, Millet, Dürer and Canaletto.

One of his great beliefs was the power of education and the broadening of horizons which came through reading. “It is inconceivable,” he stated in his letter to Smuts, “that continual association with greater minds than our own can have any other than a stimulating effect - freedom itself cannot exist without the knowledge of how to cherish it and use it.”

And this concern was one of the factors which led to his activism on behalf of blacks, Indians and coloureds. He had been horrified at the disparities of living conditions between them and whites, noting the poverty, lack of health, education and housing and the consequent rising crime. His first reaction was to establish an organisation called the Joint Council, which tried to improve conditions for all races by getting them together to understand one another’s needs.

He also set up the Institute of Race Relations, serving on the executive as treasurer - again in an attempt to find solutions for the racial tensions which did not bode well for the future. He believed that all races should be integrated and should all enjoy equal rights.

Which of course brought him heavily into conflict with the powers-that-be.

Hertzog did not appreciate Pim’s vociferous objections to the Colour Bar and Native Bills which laid the foundation for future segregation. His criticism increased in volume when the Cape Native franchise was withdrawn, warning that not allowing other races to participate in the constitution would inevitably have fearful consequences. It is perhaps as well that he did not perceive just to what an extent that prophecy would be fulfilled. Perhaps Hertzog became inured to this stream of protest, because when Pim implored him not to compel black women to carry passes, he was ignored.

Perhaps because of his lack of success in this impenetrable and impervious political arena, Pim turned to municipal and charitable work, throwing himself into projects to uplift black people. In 1909, he entered into partnership with John Lawton Hardy, with whom he had been working since 1905, and together, the two donated land for the Bantu Sports Club. Pim himself was honorary treasurer of the Bantu Men’s Social Centre, an educational and recreational club which he supported and which was considered “a link between Africans and intelligent British liberals”. He was also involved with the Bridgman Memorial Hospital, the first non-white maternity home in Johannesburg. In respect and in gratitude for the many initiatives he undertook for blacks, the township of “Pimville” was named after him. On at least one occasion he was not alone in his continuing efforts to help blacks, and was delighted to support the efforts of W Ballinger who arrived in the country to help organise black workers into trade unions - another move which did not endear him to local business people.

He also found time to become involved with the SA Red Cross Society, the TB Clinic and the Committee of Public Safety. During World War I he served as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Food Supplies and Cost of Living for which he was awarded the Cross of the British Empire.

His firm conviction of the need to train and educate blacks resulted in his becoming Governor of the University College of Fort Hare, to which he eventually bequeathed the greater part of his library. He

participated in administration of Indian schools, served on the Board of Trustees of the Ohlange Institute which trained “natives” in trades such as shoe-making and printing, and was for years chairman of the Witwatersrand School Board.

The great black/white divide, the lack of comprehension of “native” culture and customs and the fierce laws of the day combined to provide rough justice, especially for blacks. So Pim weighed in there too, promoting the need for magistrates to be instructed in tribal customs so that reconceptions and misunderstandings could be diminished and fairer justice provided. Aware that probably many who ended up in the penal system were innocent, or at least guilty of only minor misdemeanours, he was determined not to abandon them to society’s rejection, and himself took ex-prisoners into his home to help rehabilitate them. He also promoted rehabilitation hostels for boys and girls and strongly supported the introduction of the probation system.

Respected for his values and principles - though not liked much - Pim achieved significant status and stature in both business and the profession. He laid the foundation of the principles of transformation

which would inform his firm throughout the decades - Howard Pim & Hardy was the first firm in the ’50s to dare employ Chinese and blacks. One of his successors, Len Butt, was determined to uphold Pim’s principles and continue developing his initiatives. The Bantu Sports Trust exists to this day.

Today, the firm which emerged from the amalgamation of Deloitte and so many worthy South African firms, Howard Pim & Hardy among them, is actively promoting the vision which he longed for when addressing the National European Bantu Conference, of which he was chairman: “Europeans and natives alike are integral parts of our South African nation. The better we all understand one another, the greater is the hope for a peaceful, prosperous South Africa. The future progress of South Africa is inseparably bound up with the economic prosperity of all sections of our South African population.”

Source: FHL Film 571399 Dates: 1849 - 1906

PIM, James Howard

Gender: Male

Birth Date: 27 Sep 1862 Birthplace: Greythorn, Dub, Ire

Recorded in: Dublin, Ireland

Collection: National Register Of Quakers

Father: James PIM

Mother: Elizabeth FAYLE