THE NEW LEADER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 40, 27 November 1940, Page 2

THE NEW LEADER

MR S. G. HOLLAND’S CAREER. FIVE YEARS IN PARLIAMENT. The new Leader of the Opposition (Mr Sidney George Holland), National member for Christchurch North, has in the five years he fias been in Parliament reached the forefront. He is a son of Mr H. Holland, who held the Christchurch North seat from 1925 to 1935, and- who was five times Mayor of Christchurch. He has an expert knowledge of industrial and commercial subjects, and, as a successful manufacturer, he is qualified to express an opinion on trade questions. Born in 1893, at Greendale, where his father was farming, the new leader came to Christchurch at the age of five years. All his schooling was at the West Christchurch School, and on leaving the secondary department he was apprenticed to the hardware trade with Mason, Struthers, Ltd. He joined the traction haulage and engineering business of -W. A.. McLaren and Co., owned by ®his father. Mr Holland went into camp with the llth Reinforcements to the 13th N.C.O. Battalion of the Ist Expeditionary Force. He went on final leave as a sergeant-major, hut was held back to sit for a commission in the 17th Artillery Reinforcement, He served in France with t}ie 13th Battery and other artillery units, but was invalided home seriously ill. Oh his return to New Zealand lie joined his brother in the Midland Engineering Company, with which he has since been associated. In 1935, when liis father retired from the Christchurch North seat, Mr Holland stood as National candidate and defeated Mr R. M. Macfarlane, who now represents Christchurch South in the House. He defeated Mr Macfarlane again in 1938. Mr Holland’s ability had been tested before his election to Parliament - in 1935, when lie received the highest number of votes l’ecorded by any National Party candidate in New Zealand. The services of Mr Holland are in demand as a public speaker, and he has addressed audiences in all parts of New Zealand.

He has the distinction of being the only National member of the present Parliament to be sent overseas by the present Government, having been a member of the Parliamentary delegation to visit the Cook Islands to investigate the fruit industry. Mr Holland served on the Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the Government’s social security proposals, and he played a leading part in the drafting of the minority report, which has now been adopted as a plank in the National Party policy. Although still in his forties, Mr Holland has had considerable experience in public service, having been for three years president of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, vice-president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, president of the Businessmen’s Club, chairman of the Citizens’ Association. In the House of Representatives he formerly acted as Parliamentary secretary to the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. A. Hamilton). Mr Holland lias travelled extensively in America, Australia, and elsewhere. Hockey is really his main sport, and he had a distinguished career both as a player and in an administrative capacity, capping a long period of service by taking, as manager, the 1932 New Zealand hockey team on its Australian tour, during which it did not lose a single game. One of his main activities since the war began has been his part in the recruiting campaign. Before her marriage, Mrs Holland was Miss Florence Drayton, of Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Holland have children, three still being at school. Their elder son has just passed for a commission in the Territorial Force.

THE HON. A. HAMILTON. Mr, Hamilton was born at Forest Hill, Southland, in 1880. His father was thte late Mr John Hamilton, who, having arrived at Dunedin, from Scotland, in 1860, took part and did well in the Gabriel’s Gully goldfield “rush.’’ Mr Hamilton received his early education at the Forest Hill and Lochiel schools and then commended work on his father’s farm. He frequently recalls that during his youth on the farm he was successful pi obtaining a locomotive engineer driver’s.certificate. At the age of 23, Mr Hamilton enrolled as a student at Knox College and Otago University, where liis continued his studies for sevem years. He represented his college at tennis and Rugby football, and fife still shows the powerful physique which led him, as a young man to take up hammer-throw-ing and wrestling with enthusiasm. Mr Hamilton was a fine tennis player until comparatively- recently, when an illness forced him to givte ur> the game. After leaving college Mr Hamilton entered business with his brother at Wintou as grain and seed merchants. They built up a remarkably successful business, which they later sold to the Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Association.

Mr Hamilton first entered Parliament when he won the Wallace scat in 1919. He was defeated at the general election in 1922, but regained the seat in 1925 and has held it ever since. When the Coalition Government was formed in 1931, Mr Hamilton, as a Reform member, became a member of the Cabinet as Postmaster-General, Minister of Labour and Minister of Internal Affairs. He dropped the last-mention-ed portfolio when he became Minister of Employment, but a fairly serious ill - ness in 1934 foi’ced him to give up the administration of employment activities. Ho retained his other portfolios and was Acting-Minister of Finance and Customs when Mr Coates was absent in England. Mr Hamilton was elected leader of the National Party in 1936, when the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes retired. On the formation of the War Cabiniet he entered it with the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates,