THE NEW MINISTER

Evening Star, Issue 18670, 26 June 1924, Page 11

THE NEW MINISTER

m. A. D. ftVLEOD. FARMERS' ADVOCATE. [From Our Parmamestart RKromrß.] WELLINGTON, June 25. The Hon. A, D. M'Lcod, member for Wairarapa, who (as previously indicated in these columns) lakes over the Hon. 1). 11. Guthrie’s portfolio, was sworn in this afternoon at the Executive Council meeting at Government House. The now Minister will administer the Lauda Department, Discharged Soldier Settlement, Repatriation, and Scenery I’reservation. Ilia predecessor will continue as a member of the Executive without, portfolio. The Hou. Mr M‘Lcod entered the House at the 1919 General Election, when, Sir Waller Buchanan having retired from representation of Wairarapa, lie contested the seat in the Reform interest, beating a former Liberal holder of that position (Mr Hornsby) by 500 voles. A practical farmer, he bits been a strenuous advocate for the producers, and was prominent in pushing the Dairy Control Bill through Parliament. He retains a good Scotch accent —the most noticeable in the House—and is a fairly frequent contributor to debates. A trip to Queensland has provided the new Minister with a largo quantity of critical matter about the Labor Government. Ho usually contrived on occasions when controversy ran high to provoke his former neighbors on the Labor benches to interruption and reply. Mr M'Lcod lias actively interested himself in soldier settlement, and will now have the administration of that branch. The appointment wilt somewhat improve the debating strength of Ministerialists. An interesting feature is that the Premier, in making the appointment, did not wait to submit it to the party caucus, which meets on Thursday night.

Mr M’Leod is the third of the six sons of the late Mr William M'Lcod, who was one of the earliest pioneer settlers in the Wairarapa district. Ho was educated privately, and has lived in the Wairarapa all his life, his home town being Martinborough. He tool; up farming on his own

account in 1895, and entered into local politics the following year, becoming a member of the old Featherston Highway Board, now the Foatherslon County Council. Ho was for some years chairman of Iho council. On the inception of the Wairarapa Hospital Board ho was elected a member of (hat. body. For some eight years he was the representative of -tho Wairarapa district on the Wellington Harbor Board. Mr M'Leod has also taken very keen and active interest, in all farmers’ organisations, besides being associated with all forms of sport. Ho has been a rnemlrer of the Wairarapa Racing Club for a good many years.