Outdoor life aids recovery of Mr Latter

Press, 4 October 1979, Page 4

Outdoor life aids recovery of Mr Latter

Blenheim reporter

New Zealand’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Canada. Mr E. G. Latter, of Blenheim, said yesterday that a return to the outdoor life after he had retired from politics last year because of illhealth played an important part in his accepting the new post. “The offer of the position was unexpected, but gave me the opportunity of

again serving New Zealand." he said. Mr Latter, aged 51. was elected to Parliament in 1975 as the National member for Marlborough. However. in May last year he retired from politics because of ill-health. “1 have always been a loyal supporter of the National Party, although I did not quite let party politics rule me as much as they possibly do some.’’ he said. “I was sad to leave." Mr Latter was then faced with something to do. He was appointed manager of the Mount Olympus hill-country run in the Waihopai Valley and the ragged nature of the work sqon saw an improvement in his health. However, the position involved a daily journey of 48 km from Blenheim and he decided to look for a .’job closer to home. He replied to an advertisement an experienced orchard pmner at Ranaura, and a'thou«h he explained to his prospective enwlover the- he was inexperienced —"I was willing tn have a go ’ —he got the job.

Mr Latter said he considered it an interesting slant on the unemployment situation that the orchardist had advertised several times but had received only two replies, his and that of another man who was also employed. He said that he had yet to learn of the details of his appointment. He expected the term to be for the normal three years and that he would leave for Canada early next .year. Mr Latter and his wife have a son and two daughters. Mr Latter was educated at Hapuku School, Kaikoura District High School, and Christ’s College. After working on the waterfront in New Zealand for two years, he worked his way to Britain as a ship's steward and then took work on a variety of farms in Kent, Cumberland, and Scotland.

“I bought a bicycle for £5 and cycled from John o’Groats to Land’s End.” Mr Latter then became a cattleman in a merchant ship bound for Kenya and spent 18 months in Africa, working on a variety of farms. He was then a chaperon — a companion on an over land journey to South Africa

After working in Uganda and Tanganyika. Mr Latter returned to New Zealand in 1951 and took up farming. He joined the Territorial Force in the same year and was commissioned two years later. He resigned in 1975 when he entered politics, holding the rank of brigadier.