NEW PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 1, 27 September 1943, Page 8

NEW PARLIAMENT

Brief Biographical

Brief biographical notes on the members of the new House of Representatives follow: — Air. 11. Atmore, who lias retained the Nelson seat as an Independent with Labour support, was- first elected 'to the seat in 1911, but lost it in 1914. He was returned again in 1919, after failing in a by-election in Wellington Central in 1918. In 1928 he waa returned as an Independent, but joined the United Party ami was appointed -Minister of Education. lie retired from the Cabinet, on the formation of the Coalition, and has remained Independent since. .Mr. W. T. Anderton, who retains the .Eden seat for Labour, has held it since 1935, and is chairman of the _ Public Health Committee. He was born in England 55 tears ago, and saw service in the Royal Field Artillery during the Great War. lie was associated with the Labour movement in Britain, and, after coming to New Zealand, was a member of the Auckland City Council for a number of years, lie comes from a Methodist family. and is himself a lay preacher. Chaplain-Captain E. I*. Aderman. who has won the New Plymouth seat in the National Party interest, was born in Australia, graduated B.A. at Brisbane University, and came to New Zealand in 1927. He lectured for 12 years at the Church of Christ College. Dunedin, and was president of the Church of Christ in New Zealand in 1936. He contested the Dunedin South seat in 1938. He is now serving in the Army as a chaplain. Mr. R. M. Algie, who has held the Remuera seat, formerly occupied by Mr. AV. P. Endcan, for the National Party, was formerly professor of law at Auckland University College. Alqre recently he was director of the New Zealand Freedom Association, but when that body was wound up Mr. Algie was released and given absolute freedom to offer his services in the Parliamentary field. Mr A E. Armstrong. Labour, son ot the late Hon. H. T. Armstrong, who has displaced the Speaker, Mr. AV. E. Barnard in the Napier seat, was born in Waiiti in 1902. He was educated tn Christchurch and' was for six years a member of the Christchurch City Council. He has "been stationed in Napier for the past four years as liaison officer of the National Service Department. ' Mr. T. R. Beatty, National, who has defeated the Minister, of Health, Mr. A. H. Nord-meyer, in Oaraaru, was born m North Otago and worked for some years as a'shepherd and farmhand. He entered the building trade, and some 12 years ago established his own business as a contractor. He was responsible for a very successful Ibuilding scheme in Oataaru for small wage earners, who were thus enabled to own their homes.

As a member of the National Military Reserve, he was mobilized for full-time service and was in the army for many months. Mr. C. AL Bowden, who has gamed Wellington West for the National Party at the expense of Mrs. C. Stewart, Labour, is a publie accountant, a member of the Wellington City Council and of the Bureau of Industry. Born in Dunedin in 1886. he was educated in Auckland. He is a member of 'the council of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association and a past president of the Wellington Chamber of-Commerce, the New Zealand Society of Accountants, and several other bodies. De is a vestryman of St. Peter's Anglican Church and a Justice of the Peace. -Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, National, who lias retained AVaitomo. entered Parliament for the first time in .1928 as a supporter of the United Government. lie has been mayor of Te Kuiti. where he practises as a solicitor. He is keenly interested in laud questions, and his speeches on the subject are always attentively listened to in the House.

Mr. AV. A. Bodkin. National, who retains Centra] Otago, was 'born in Queenstown in 1885, and was educated at the Queenstown and Clyde public schools before working on his father’s farm for a number of years, during which he saved money in order to study 'law. He was admitted a barrister in 1909 and purchased a practice in Alexandra. He has taken a prominent part in matters affecting the welfare of Central Otago. He has sat in Parliament since 1928, and was for a time Chairman of Committees.

rhe Rev. Clyde Carr, the successful Labour candidate for Timaru, has held the seat since 1928. He was born iu Auckland and educated at Nelson College and Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland University Colleges. Before entering the Congregational Ministry, he had commercial ami banking experience. When in Christchurch, where he was employed in publishing work, he was a member of the city council and the’hospital board.

Mr. C. 11. Chapman, Labour, who has been re-elected for Wellington North, was a foundation member of the Independent Labour Party of Great Britain, and was elected to life membership of that body before he came to New Zealand. He has been a member of the Labour movement in New Zealand ever since his arrival in the Dominion, and served for many years on the Wellington City. Council, the Wellington Harbour and Hospital Boards and the Wellington Technical College Board of Governors. He has been for many years chairman of the Wei-' lington centre of the Red Cross Society. Mr. E. L. Cullen, Labour, who will again represent Hawke's Bay, first, wou the seat in 1935. He was born at Havelock North, and was educated at the Napier Boys’ High School. He served in the Army in the last War. and on his return took up farming at Nuhaka. He has been a director of the Wairoa Cooperative Dairy Company and of the Wairoa Herd-Testing Association, aud <1 president of the AVairoa U.S.A. Mr. D. AV. Coleman, who has again won Gisiborne for Labour, was first elected to the seat in 1931, after an unsuccessful contest 1111928. He has been actively connected with the Labour movement in New Zealand 1 since he came to the Dominion from Queensland in 1905. He has represented Poverty Bay .on. the national executive ■of the -party since it was formed. He has been a mem--ber of the'Gisborne Hospital (Board 'and the local fire board for many years. ' ' Mt.'R.' CdUlter, who has won Raglan fpi; Labour, was member of Parliament for the old Waikato seat in the 1935 Parliament, having unseated Mr. F. Lye, Coalition. Tn the 1938 elections' the old Waikato seat was split up in a redistribution aud Mr. Coulter, -chosifig the new Hauraki seat, was beaten. He was mayor ofTeAroha for'from'l92l to 1941. Mr. H. E. Combs, who was first elected to' Parliament as Labour representative for the’ Suburbs electorate in 1938. has had a,long experience in the-industrial Labour movement. He was general, secretary of the T. Employees’ Association .till 17 years ago, when he joined two other Labour men as a partner in a printing business. Mr. Combs contested the Wellington North 1931 undertook organizing work-for the Labour Party. ' ’ Mr. Peter . Carr (Labour),, was first elected for. Auckland West at a by-elec-tion in May, 1940. Before that he was employed for 27 years in the Auckland Tramways, being president of the union for 12 years. He served in the Great War and was elected to the Auckland City Council in 1935 and 1938. Mr. J. F. B. Cotterill, Labour, who has held Wanganui for bis party, is 37 years of age and-was born in the district. He firsts won the seat in the 1935 general election. Educated at Queen’s Park School, Wanganui,' lie is secretary of, the Wanganui East branch of the Labour Party, and of the East Town branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. He had been prominent in many branches of sport. lie played a large part in the establishment of the Wanganui Free Ambulance Service and is a member of the management committee.

Air. E. B. Corbett. National, who has won the Egmont seat, formerly occupied by Air. <J. A. AA’ilkiiison, . Independent who has retired from Parliament, is 43 years of age and was born at Okato. He worked in the Post and Telegraph Department till he joined up in the last war, and has since been farming.' lie has been a director of the Oxford Dairy Company for 17 years, the last eight as chairman. He is also a member of the management committee of the Taranaki Federation of Factories, and a representative to the Dominion Dairy Conference.

Air. F. AV. Doidige, National. Tauranga, is a : well-known journalist. He was the first president of the New Zealand Journalists’ Association. Served in France during the last war and was later transferred to the Ministry o-f Information, London. Subsequently, he entered Fleet 'Street, where he had a successful career, ibe-coming director of some o-f Britain's greatest newspapers. He returned to New Zealand in 1935. Has been National member for Tauranga since 1938. Air. AV. Al. C. Denham, Labour, who has retained Invercargill, was born '.n Australia in iSSS.'camo to New Zealand nearly 40 .years ago, and went to Invercargill, where he engaged in the grocery trade. For the greater part of his life in the Dominion he has been associated with the Labour movement. He first won the seat in 1935, in a four-cornered contest.

The Tit. Hon. P. Fraser, Prime Minister since 1940, was born in Scotland and came to New Zealand in 1910. being employed as a labourer and watersider at Auckland and Wellington, and was president of the General Labourers’ Union. He joined the New Zealand Socialist Thirty, und became an executive member of the Federation of Labour. He was national secretary of the Social Democratic Party, editor of the “Maorilaud Worker,” and then secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party. He organized the election campaign of the late Mr. H. E. Holland in Wellington in 1914, and took a prominent part in relief work during the 1918 epidemic. He won tlie Wellington Central seat in-1918. He lias held all ottiees in the Labour Party. He was a delegate to the Empire Parliamentary Association Conference in London in 1935; and' represented New Zealand at the 1.L.0. Conference. Geneva. He was Minister of Education and Health and Marine from 1935 to 1940, Acting-Prime Minister in 1937, attended the Imperial War Council in 1939, and became Prime Minister on April 1, 1940, on the death of the Kt. Hon. M. J. Savage. Mr. Frank Findlay, National, who has defeated the sitting member, Mr. C. A. Barrell. Labour, in Hamilton, is a master baker in Hamilton and is chairman of the Waikato Hospital Board. He topped the poll at the.borough council elections in 1941. and is deputy-mayor. Mr. K. G. Gerard, who has held for the National Party the Mid-Canterbury seat. which was occupied in the same interest to the end of the last Parliament by Mrs. W. .1. Polson, is 39 years <4 age, was educated at Christ’s College. Christchurch, and is a .farmer at Mount Hutt. He is unfit for military but his four brothers, including the Bishop of Waiapu, the lit. Itev. G. V. Gerard, are serving or have served overseas. He has played a prominent part in farmers . meat producers’, primary production, and A. and P. bodies. . Mr. W. iS. Goosman. National, Waikato. was born at Auckland in 1890. He spent his early years learning farming, and in W3O acquired a property at M aitoa. Later, he developed’ a contracting business to which was added road construction. Air. Goosman was at one time an executive member of the Auckland Farmers’ Union, and owns farms in the Waikato and Thames Valley district. He is the youngest son of the late Mr.

and Mrs. Goosman, of Mangere, and is a nephew of the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey. Mr. E. B. Gordon, National, Rangi-ti-kei, is a well-known farmer who takes an active part in all rural activities. He lias been associated with the Farmers’ Union and the Marton A. and P. Association for many years. He is a son of the late Rev. D. Gordon. He unseated Mr. Ormond Wilson (La'bourl in 1938.

Mr. IV. H. Gilies'pie, who fills the vacancy for the Hurunui seat in the National interest, is a 49-year-ohl farmer. He is a returned soldier of the lasi war. and is a member of the Oxford County Council, and the district primary production committee, and commands the local Home Guard. He is also a director of the N.Z. Farmers’ Co-operative Association. Ltd. ■ Mr. J. Hodgeus, Labour, who has retained Palmerston North, was born in the Nelson district and has been a resident of Palmerston North for the past 32 years. A builder by occupation, he lias been a member of the Carpenters' and Joiners Union for many years. Since 1919, with the exception of a break for two years in 1921 and 1922 he has been a member of the Palmerston North Borough Council and he also has been a member of the Mauawatu-Oroua Power Board and the Palmerston Licensing Committee. ’i'he Hon. Adam -Hamilton. National, who has retained the Wallace seat, was born in New Zealand in I'BB6, of Scottish parents who camo to the Dominion in the early sixties. He was educated at the North Forest Hill County School ami Lochiel School, and. after a period of hard work on his father’s farm breaking in laud, went to Dunedin, attending Dunedin Technical College and Otago University, and qualifying as a minister o-f the Presbyterian Church at Knox College. Following seven years in business as a grain merchant in AVintou with his brother, he entered Parliament as member for Wallace in 19.19, and has sat ever since. - He is a member of the War Cabinet.

Mr. K. J. Holyoake, the new National member for Pahiatua —one of the three seats vacant through, the death of its sitting member before the close of the last Parliament—is 41 years of a_ge, and formerly represented Motueka in Parliament. He was for several years provincial president of the Farmers' Union, representing Nelson and Marlborough on the Dominion executive. He has been active in Rugby Union administration, and v'as a representative player in this and at tennis. Brigadier Hargest, National, who has been returned unopposed for Awarua. was born in Gore in IS9I and was educated at State schools. He served in the last war. and early in .the present conflict volunteered and went, overseas With the Second Echelon as a colonel, later being promoted to 'brigadier. Captured'’ in the Libya fighting, be was, a prisoner of war in Italy, but,' with Brigadier Miles, escaped some -months ago and is now in Switzerland. He Ims been -prominent in land -matters in the Southland province. ■ ’ Mr. S. G. Holland, leader of the National Party, who has retained Christchurch North, followed his father in the representation' of the electorate, being first elected in 1935. He rapidly made his mark in the House, ami followed the Hon. Adam Hamilton. as Leader of the Opposition when the National Party decided on a change of leadership a few years ago. He is a returned soldier ot the last war. He is an advocate of the co-operative system and has co-partner-ship and profit-sharing'systems in his engineering business and farm. Mr. C. G. E. Harker (National). was elected for Waipawa in 1946, when he defeated Air. IL Al. Christie. He is a barrister and solicitor and served in the Great War.’ He has been mayor of the borough and -president of the Chamber of Commerce. lie" was the first chairman of the National Party in the electorate in 1936, and a member of the Dominion council. Mr. F. Hackett, official Labour, who has displaced ,the leader of the Democratic Labour Party, Mr. J. A. Lee. from the Grey Lynn seat, is chairman of the Auckland Rehabilitation Committee and, secretary of the Tramway Employees Union in Auckland. Mr. Hackett was born in England and came to the Dominion in 1921 after service in the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy. He joined the staff of the Auckland Transport Board in the following year and has been identified with the Labour movement ever since. The Hon. F. Jones, Minister of Defence, and a prominent member of the Labour Party, is again successful for Dunedin South, which he has represented since 1931. He is a native of Dunedin. and has spent nearly the whole of his life in that city, where in addition to being prominently identified with the Labour movement, he served for several years on the city council and the Otago Harbour Board. Mr.' D. C. Kidd, National, who has. retained AVaitaki in a straight (light against Lalbour, first occupied the seat m 14fet>. on the retirement of Mr. T. D. Burnett. He has been connected ■with various branches of farming work for the past 33 vears, arid has been a member of many public bodies, including the Canterbury Land Board, the Timaru Harbour Board, the Middlemarch Hospital Committee, and the Crown Tenants’ Association, of which he has' been Dominion president since the first 12 months of its existence. Mr. L. G. Lowry. Labour., who has a small -majority over the National candidate in -the Otaki seat, first entered Parliament in 1935. He was born in London in 1884. and was educated at Barnett Grammar. School. He came to New Zealand-and, before-the Great Mar, was employed by the AVellington City Co. 1 ’ I '' cil He served overseas with the Fifth Reinforcements, and on returning -to the Dominion he took up 'business as a 'bookseller in Otaki. He has been a member of the Otaki Borough Council,, the Otaki Licensing Bench, the Otaki Fire Board, and the New 'Zealand Booksellers Conncil. He recently visited Britain--as a guest of the Empire- Parliamentary Association. ' The Hon. "F. Langstoue, Labour, who has retained AVaimarino. has represented the constituency since 1922, .with a -break from 1925 to 1925. As Minister ot Lands he went to ■Washington, aud later was appointed High Commissioner in Canada. Following the appointment or Mr. Nash as New Zealand Minister in "Washington, he complained' of the treatment accorded him by the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser, but the recent Labour Conference decided against his contentions that he had -been ibadly treated. He resigned the -portfolio of Lands during the dispute. , , Sir. T. 11. McCombs, Labour, who has retained the Lyttelton seat, is the third member of his family in succession to hold it, his father and mother having both represented, the electorate. He was first elected.to. the. House in a by-election to rill the vacancy caused by the death of his mother in July, .1935. He is an M.Se., and held teaching appointments in Christchurch, Lyttelton, and. Auckland, before his election to Parliament. Mr. J. N. Massey, National, who has been re-elected to the Franklin seat, is a son of the former Prime Minister, and has been in 'Parliament continuously since 1928. -He has been identified with local bodies, and was at one -time president of the Franklin A. and P. Association. He is a farmer at Te Puni. Mr. J. W. Munro, Labour member for Dunedin North, who has again been returned, is no stranger to Parliament, having been a member continuously since 1928, with broken sequences before that. He was born in Roslyn in 1870, and for some years carried on a bakery business of his own in North Dunedin. He has a long record of service with the Labour movement, and an almost equally long one on public bodies in Dunedin. In Parliament, lie is chairman of the Labour Bills Committee. Air. R. McKeen has been ALP. for Wellington South since 1922, and deputySpeaker and Chairman of Committees m the House since 1939. Before that he held the appointment of Chief Government: Whip after Labour had been elected to office in ,1935. lie was born at. Linlithgow, Scotland, in 1881, started life as a grocer’s assistant, and was active in the co-operative and Labour movement before coming to New Zealand iu .1909. He is a member of the AVellington City Council. Air. E. P. Aleaehen was first elected in 1935 to the AVairau seat for the Labour Party. He was born in AVanganui in 1895. He enlisted at the outbreak of the Great AVar, and after his return was engaged with the Public AA’orks Department aud in railway construction work. For many years he acted as branch secretary to the New Zealand AA’orkers' Union and later was secretary of the Aledieal. Asso; eiatiou. _ ~~3 Air. A. J. Alurdoch, who represented Marsden for a good many years, has regained the seat in the National interest. He is 06 years of age, and was for a

term chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board. In recent years he has been dairv-farming in the AVhangarei district. He was Alinister of Alines and Asriculture in the Forbes Government, IJoO-01. and was Chief Government AVhip in tue Forbes-Coates coalition. Air; G. H. Alaekley, National, who has gained Alasterton from Air. J. Robertson, Labour,'is a retired public servant, having been General Alanagcr of the New Zealand' Railways-at. his retirement. Air. P. Neilson, who won the Dunedin Central seat again for Labour, was first elected in 1935. For many years he has taken an active 1 interest in trades union and Labour Party matters. He was born in Dunedin, where he was a baser. As a member of the Dunodin City CojuciL he did much work on the library committee. He takes- a keen interest in sport, and holds executive office on many athletic and sports bodies in Dunedin. The Hon. H. G. R. Alason. AttorneyGeneral and Alinister of Justice, who retains Auckland Suburbs for Labour, first won the seat, at a by-election in IJ-b. and has held it ever since. Born and educated in AVellington. he graduated as a B.A. in 1906 and as an ALA. in 1908, and took up law. commencing practice m Pukekohe in 1922. He later went to Auckland, where he has since hem ni practice. He has been mayor of Pukekohe aud chairman of the Auckland Transport Board. . , , , , Air. 11. T. Alorton, National, who lias ousted'Airs. Brea ver, Labour, from automata. is mayor of Te Kuiti, wh?re he is in -practice as a solicitor. A master ot arts, Cantab., England, he is about ufi years of age. He was severely wounded in the last war. The Hon. AV. Nash, Minister ot !• mance and New. Zealand Alinister to AA ashington, was born at Kidderminster (England), in 1882, and arrived in New Zealand in 1909. He was secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1922-32. New Zealand delegate to the International Labour Conference at Geneva iu 1920, delegate to the biennial conference of the Institute for Pacific Relations at Honolulu in 1927, and Banff in 1933, and to the British Commonwealth Relations Conference at Toronto in 1933. He has been ALP. for Hutt since 1929. Alinister of Finance since 1935, and Alinister of Alarketing from 1936 to 1941. He represented New Zealand at the Imperial Conference, London, in 1937. Air. J. O’Brien. Alinister of Transport, who has retained AA’est'land for Labour, first won the seat in 1922, but lost it three years later on the casting vote of the returning officer. He regained the seat, in 1928. and has retained it since with large majorities. He was boru_ in A T ictoria, Australia, and came to New Zealand more than 35 years ago, taking up his residence on the AVest Coast, where he carried out exporatory mining work on behalf of the Government. He has been a firomineut member of the Labour movement for many years. Air. M. H. Oram, National, who takes the place of the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, who did not seek re-election, as National member for .Manawatu, was educated at AVellington College and Victoria University College, and is a barrister and solicitor in Palmerston North. He also owns a farm in the Alanawatu electorate. He is chairman of the Palmerston North High School Board and a member of the A'ictoria College Council and of the Board of Governors of Alassey ColThe Hon. AV. E. Parry, Labour, who has been returned again for Auckland Central, has held that, seat since 1919. He is one of the oldest, members of the House, and holds several portfolios. He is keen on fishing, shooting aud physical culture. Born in Australia, ho came to New Zealand in 1.906, and worked in the Waihi minpß. He Nraß

Aliners’ Union there at the time-of the strike and he has, at various times, held other important offices in the industrial Labour movement. Air. Tapihana Paraire Paikea, who has held for Labour the Northern Afaori seat previously occupied by his father, the laic Hou. P. K. Paikea, is 23 years of age. ami was educated at the. AA anganui Technical College. In addition to farming experience, he was for. seme three years in the office of the Alaort Advisory Council of the Labour Party and later on the staff of the Native Department. He was three times rejected when he offered himself for military «er-