Constituency : Sheffield 1868-85 ; Sheffield Brightside 1885-97
Anthony ( usually known as A.J. ) ejected John Roebuck from his seat at Sheffield. He was one of the more important MPs of the 1868 intake. He had been invited to stand by the trade unionist William Dronfield, Roebuck being notoriously anti-union. He later blamed Roebuck for the growth of pro-imperialist, and therefore Tory strength. in the constituency.
Anthony was the son of an Italian refugee who started work in the hosiery trade. He was based in Nottingham. He set up the first arbitration courts for settling labour disputes in 1859. He made his fortune through embracing new technology. He encouraged his employees to join trades unions.
In 1869 Anthony was the President for the second day of the first ever Co-operative Congress.
Anthony's main interest was in education, . He supported compulsory education as a result of business visits to Germany and was a strong supporter of the 1870 Act. He was Vice President of the Committee on Education in Gladstone's second ministry. In 1882 he came up with the "Mundella code" regulating public elementary schools and their finances.
Anthony supported women's suffrage and the repeal of the Contagious Disesases Act but in 1874 he said that "The absurd project of the equality of the sexes... died with John Stuart Mill" and he opposed the clause in the 1884 Guardianship of Infants Bill which would have given mothers the same child custody rights as fathers.
Anthony pushed for the Factory Act of 1875 which established the ten hour day for women and children in textile factories. In 1878 he piloted a Fisheries Bill through Parliament. He told a friend at the time, "I am worn out, and at the end of every session it is the same . I am spending my strength ; I am on the treadmill every day of my life".
Anthony encouraged Gladstone over the Eastern Question being strongly pro-Russian against the Turks.
He joined the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade in 1886 and occupied the same post from 1892 to 1894. He proposed a system of price regulation on rail freight in 1886 which was badly designed as based on distance travelled which was not the cost driver. The railway companies were fiercely opposed to his interference. Hiss biographer Armytage has suggested that 26 of the Home Rule rebels had strong railway interests and 20 were voting to bring the government down to thwart Anthony's plans.
Anthony was obliged to resign in 1894 because the Board had to investigate the liquidated New Zealand Loan Company with which he had a connection. He established a research facility at the Board and chivvied diplomats posted abroad to supply commercial information.
Anthony was interested in literature and antiques. He built up a large collection of historic weapons.
He died of a stroke in 1897 aged 72.
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