GENERAL ELECTION

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3262, 12 October 1928, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTION

ROBERT WALLACE WIGHTMAN

AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE.

* Being nominated by the most prominent farmers in the Mid-Canterbury Electorate, Mr Wightman is contesting the seat as an Independent.

Sixty years ago his father, Mat Wightman, arrived in New Zealand from County Down, Ireland, and after spending a few years in the Killinehy and Leeston districts, married Miss Baxter, of Dorie, Rakaia. He then took up land in the Temuka district, Where he died in 1894. Mrs Wightman then came to Dorie, and after being unsuccessful in the ballots of the Marawiti and Highbank settlements, bought a piece of Murray Ainsley's Mt. Hutt estate. Her son, Bob, now 39 years of age, attended sehool at Methven, and on leaving took on farming his mother's land. In 1909 he took up 335 acres of the Waramarama estate,' adding 512 acres to it the following year. This he cropped extensively. In 1915 he purchased the lower Mt. Hutt estate, where he milked from two to three hundred cows, besides cropping and fattening several thousand sheep each year.

In 1922 he founded the Mt. Hutt Dairy Company in Methven, guaranteeing the whole of the amount with the Bank. Late in 1926, through the adverse circumstances of the slump, things went against him, and he is now seeking a seat in Parliament for the protection of those who may have their own troubles of finance, and hopes to do everything in his power for the protection of the small producers and their employees, directly and indirectly. In 1918 Mr Wightman had the opportunity of taking up, with Australian finance, a very large block of agricultural land in the North Island, but as his interests were in the welfare of his own district, he turned down the proposition. Although practically a teetotaller, he is not a Prohibitionist.

Mr Wightman married Miss Burrell in 1913. Miss Burrell, who was also educated at Methven, was the only daughter of the late Dr. Burrell. Mrs Wightman is well connected, being grand-daughter of the late William Burrell, shipowner, Glasgow, and niece of Sir William Burrell, Hetton Castle, Berwickshire, England, and Sir Charles and Lady Clelland, Bonville, Glasgow. . Mrs Wightman has had a great deal to do with farming and farm employees, having been in full charge of the Mt. Hutt properties while her husband was for some considerable time in Lewisham Hospital. —1