He was educated at Chippendale and worked as a leather dresser with Anderson & sons from the age of fifteen, becoming the branch manager by 1890.

[1] Howe was a director of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company, which was placed into liquidation on 11 September 1891.

[8] On 8 October 1891 he was charged, along with James Miller, with conspiracy to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company.

[9] On 21 October 1891 Howe gave his resignation to William Willis to be given to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

[12] Frank Smith, another former member of the Legislative Assembly, was the managing director of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company from September 1889 until September 1890, and was convicted in February 1892 with conspiracy to fraudulently misrepresent the financial affairs of the company,[13] and was also sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.