MR. WILLIAM JONES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 262, 5 November 1925, Page 10

MR. WILLIAM JONES.

Mr. Jone3 (E.) was a member of the Whangarei County Council for nine years (six years as chairman), has been a member of Whangarei Harbour Board for six years, Whangarei Hospital Board for six years, Whangarei High School Board of Governors for six years, Whangarei Technical School Board for six years, and is a member of the No. 1 Highway District Council and Executive. MR. E. WALTER. Another strong Liberal in Mr. R. Masters has lost his seat, Stratford, which lie won in 1919. Mr. E. Walter, the new member for Stratford, is a farmer. He has been a member of the Stratford County Council for some years, and for the last seven years has been its chairman. For five years he has been a member of the Stratford Hospital Board, and for 12 years he has been chairman of the Douglas School Committee. MR. GORDON ELIOT. Mr. Gordon Eliot, who continues the representation of Reform in Orua. a solid Government seat, resigned by the Hon. D. Guthrio, is a son of pioneer stock. Four generations of Eliots wore born in New Zealand, and are still living His father was born in Auckland in 1843, and his mother in 1848. The new member was born in Wellington, and has been in business in the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts as a stock auchioncers. He was manager of the Flock House Station until it was subdivided. MR. H. M. CAMPBELL. Mr. Hugh M. Campbell has captured the Hawke's Bay seat for Reform after a spell of eleven years. He won the election of 1911, but was defeated by the late Hon. R. McNab at the next contest, and the seat has been held by opponents of Reform in the interval. Mr. Campbell is the son of a Hawke's Bay squatter, and popular in sporting circles, while he has also taken a share of the responsibility of local administration. MR. A. M. SAMUEL. Mr. Albert M. Samuel, who, as Reform candidate, defeated Mr. Hugh Poland, who. repnesented Ohinemuri for a very long period, is well known in political and snorting circles. He stood against Mr. T" M. Wilford in the Hutt electorate in 1914, but was defeated by 914 votes. Before the present elections lie submitted his name for consideration as the official candidate for Waikato, but Mr. Stewart Reid was selected. The Reform League was. however, so impressed with Mr.°Samuers qualifications that it requested him to stand for Ohinemuri, a district which he entered as an entire stranger. Mr. Samuel is a native of Wellington. He was educated at the Thorndon school. He has always been a keen sportsman, being an enthusiastic cross-country rider and a noted flyfisherman. He has raced several horses, and was president of the Wellington Trotting Club for some years. As_ a major he commanded the Sixth N.Z. Regiment during the Great War, and also served in the Boer campaign. For Rome years prior to the present he has been a farmer in the Waikato district. SIR JOSEPH WARD. The return to Parliament after a hard and close hattlo of the veteran politician, Sir Joseph Ward, ex-Prime Minister, ie one of the foremost features of the election. Sir Joseph George Ward, P.C., K.C.M.G., LL.D., who has been elected for Invereargill, was born at Kmerahl Hill, Melbourne, in 1856. and was the son of Mr. W. T. Ward, a Melbourne merchant. He r-e----ceived his education at a private school at Melbourne, and later at the State school at Bluff, where he joined the Post and Telegraph Department at the age of 13 years. Ho left to enter a merchant's office, and at the age of 20 joined the railway service. A year later he started in business as an export merchant. He was one of the first councillors of the Cmnpbelltown Borough, and was its Mayor from ISBI to 18S0, and from 1897 to 1898. He was a member 7>f the Bluff Harbour Board for over ten years, and was twice its chairman. His first venture into national' politics was in 18S7, when he contested the Awarua seat in the Liberal interests against Messrs. J. W. Bain and G. Froggiitt, both of whom he defeated. From that time for a long period of years Sir Joseph took a. very prominent part in the political affairs of New Zealand. He was Colonial Treasurer in the Seddon Government from 1593 to 18!)0, and aa Postmnster-Generiil from 1899 to 190(5 he effected advanced reforms that will long be associated with his name. On three occasions during the absence of Mr. Seddon he whs called on to till the position of acting Prime Minister. He can claim the distinction of being the first Minister of Public Health in the world. He was a leading, advocate .of the All-Red cable service, and for his persistent and successful advocacy of the penny postage 'in Xew Zealand lie received special recognition, by being appointed a K.C.M.G. in 1901. When he visited England and raised a special loan at 3 per cent to finance the Advances to Settlers Office, which he initiated, this was thu first time in the history of Australasian finance that such a loan had been raised. Between the years 1892 and 1900 he. represented Mew Zealand at important postal conferences at Sydney, Brisbane, Wellington, Hobart and Rome. Mr. Seddon died while Sir Joseph was absent from the Dominion, and on his return he assumed office as Prime Minister. He represented New Zealand at Imperial Conferences in 1907 and 1911, and instrumental in securing the recognition of this country as a Dominion. During his visits to the Old Land he received the freedom of Edinburgh, London, Bristol and Manchester, and was made an honorary LL.D. of Edinburgh ajid of Dublin. In 1907 he was appointed a Privy Councillor. In 1909, on behalf of the New Zealand Government, he,made to Britain the historic offer of one,- or, if necessary, two battle cruisers. The Ward Government survived a no-confi-dence motion early in 1912, but Sir Joseph then resigned, and Sir Thomas Maekenie was appointed Prime Minister, but was defeated on a motion of noconfidence in February, 15)12. In the National Cabinet he held the position of Minister of Finance from 191.5 to 1919, and, with Mr. Massey, he attended several war conferences in London. In December, 1919, after having represented Awarua continuously since ISB7, lie was defeated by Mr. J. R. Hamilton by ai(>4 votes to 2407. On the death of Sir William Herries he unsuccessfully contested the Tauranga seat against Mr. C. E.Macmillan (Reform), who polled 43G0 votes to Sir Joseph's 3235. Sir Joseph has taken an interest in volunteering all his life, and is a director of many public companies. He married in 1883 Theresa Doro\.hea do Smith, and they have a family of four sons and one daughter.