NEW PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20989, 31 December 1931, Page 9

NEW PARLIAMENT

RECORDS OF SERVICE “ FATHER OF THE HOUSE " SIR APIRANA NGATA In striking contrast to tho 1928 General Election, the 1931 poll was remarkable for tho unusually small disturbance of tho personnel of the House of Representatives (says the Wellington ‘ Post 3 ). After tho 1928 election thirtythree new members took their seats in the House, including twenty-three who had never before sat in Parliament. When Parliament assembles next year there will be only eleven new faces, and of these three have been members of previous Parliaments. In the now Parliament, the Minister of Native Affairs (the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata) is again the “Father of tho House.’’ This honour belongs to tho member with tho greatest number of years of unbroken service, and Sir Apirana assumed this proud position when Sir Thomas Wilford resigned tho Hutt seat to take up tho High Coxnmissionership. Sir Apirana has represented Eastern Maori since 190 C. He is also tho senior in Ministerial experience, having become a member of the Executive Council with portfolio, representing tho Maori race, in January, 1909. Next to Sir Apirana in unbroken service is the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes), who has enjoyed the confidence of the electors of Hurunui since 1908. Following Mr Forbes are the Speaker, Sir Charles Statham (Dunedin Central) .the Minister of Public Works, tho Right Hon. J. G. Coates (Kaipara), the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young (Hamilton), Messrs G. R. Sykes (Masferton),_W. A. Veitch (Wanganui), and A. Harris (Waitemata), who were first elected in 1911. Mr W. H. Field has tho longest service of any member, but his term is broken. He represented Otaki from 1900 to 1911, when he was beaten by Mr J. Robertson. He was returned again in 1914, and has held tho seat ever since. Mr R. A. Wright entered Parliament in 1908 as a representative of Wellington South, but failed to hold the seat at the succeeding election. In 1914 ho changed over to Wellington Suburbs, and has so far withstood all challenges. The Minister of Finance, tho Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Dunedin West), and Mr T. Henare (Northern Maori) were both elected in 1914, and are still undefeated. OLDEST LABOUR MEMBER. Mr J, M'Combs (Lyttelton) has held his seat since 1913, and is the veteran of tho Labour benches. Next to him comes the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr H. E. Holland, who was elected for Grey in May, 1918, and who changed over to Buller when the Grey electorate was abolished. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) first entered the House in October, 1918, and he was followed two months later by Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston North). From the General Election of 1919 there are several members who have retained their seats continuously. These include Messrs H. Atmore (Nelson), who had previously been in the House from 1911 to 1914, T, D. Burnett (Temuka), J. Bitchener (Waitaki), E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), M. J. Savage (Auckland West), and D. G. Sullivan (Avon). Mr K. S. Williams, the present member for the Bay of Islands, was first elected in 1920. Continuous service since 1922 lias been enjoyed by the Minister of Lauds (the Hon. E. A. Ransom), Messrs H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East), J. Linklater (Manawatu), R. MTveon (Wellington South), and WJ. Jordan (Manukau). Mr J. A. Macpherson, who has been Oamaru’s member since 1928, also represented the electorate for two previous terms—l9os-08 and 1921-25. Mr H. M. Campbell, Hawke’s Bay’s nominee since 1928, also served in the 191114 and 1919-22 Parliaments. Mr S. G. Smith won Taranaki at a by-elec-tion in 1918, and represented the constituency until 1925, when he was defeated. In 1928 he stood for New Plymouth and was successful. Mr P. A. do la Perrelle was Awarua’s member from 1922 to 1925. He was defeated in the 1925 General Election, but came back in 1928. Mr F. Langstone won Waimarino for Labour in 1922, lost it again in 1925, but turned the tables again in 1923. The Postmaster-Gene-ral (the Hon. A. Hamilton) was sent to the House from Wallace in 1919. He was beaten in 1922, but topped the poll again in 1925, and has held the seat ever since. Mr A. J. Murdoch made his first appearance in Parliament in 1922 as the member for Marsden. He went-down the following election, but has had the approval of the electors since 1928. After winning Dunedin North at a hy-election in 1922, Mr J. W. Munro retained the seat at the General Election, hut was beaten in 1925. However, his candidature was approved by the voters in 1928 and 1931. Mr J. O’Brien was another successful Labour candidate in 1922, beating Mr T. E. Y. Scdclon, who won tho seat again in 1925, but lost it once more to Mr O’Brien in 1928. Mr R. Semple captured Wellington South in 1918 on the death of MrHindraarsh, but at tho General Election in the following year was defeated by Mr G. Mitchell. Ho made his reappearance in Parliament in 1928, when be was returned for Wellington East, which seat he still holds. Mr F. Lye (Waikato) is anotherjnember who served from 1922 to 1925, was defeated at the end of that term, but came back in 1928. His old opponent, Mr D. S. Reid, who represented Waikato from 1925 to 1928, is tho new member for Raglan, defeating Mr W. L. Martin, who has held the seat for over two terms. the newer members. In the present House Messrs 11. G. Dickie (Patea), H. Holland (Christchurch North), H. S. S. Kyle (Riccarton), ami A. M. Samuel (Thames) have been returned for a third successive term, while the Minister of Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe), Messrs A. J. Stallworthy (Eden), A. E. Ansell (Chalmers), W. E. Barnard (Napier), G. C. Black (Motueka), W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago), W. J. Broadfoot (Waitomo), O. Carr (Timaru), C. H. Chapman (Wellington North), C. H. Clinkard (Rotorua), R. W. Hawke (Kaiapoi), E. F. Hcaly (Wairau), J. N. Massev (Franklin), W. J. Poison (Stratford), Captain H. M. Rushworth (Bav of Islands), and T. Makitanara (Southern Maori) have been returned for tbo second time. Four members who were elected at by-elections during tho term of the last Parliament, Messrs W. Nash (Hutt), W. P. Endean (Parnell), W. W. Massey (Franklin), and T. Te Tomo (Western Maori), were again successful in the recent elections.

Of the eleven new members at the last General Election, three have had previous service in the House. The Hon. A. D. M'Lcod was elected for Wairarnpa in 1919, and held the seat until 1928, when he was defeated by Colonel T. W. M'Donald, upon whom lie turned the tables this year. Mr M'Lcod held the portfolio of Lands from 1921 to 1928. Mr J. A. Lee, the

new member for Grey Lynn, repre-' sented Auckland East from 1922 to [ 1928. Mr D. S. Reid, as already mentioned, held Waikato from 1925 to I 1923. The eight members who have not sat in the House before are Messrs' J. Hargest (Invercargill), A. Stuart (Rangitikei), J. Connolly (Mid-Canter-‘ bury), P. M'Skimming (Clutha), D.: W.' Coleman (Gisborne), F. Jones' (Dunedin South), A. S. Rickards (Ros-; kill), and F. W. Schramm (Auckland" East). HEREDITY IN LEGISLATURE. In the present House there are three , instances of what may be termed par-J liamentary heredity. The name of Wil-i liam Downie Stewart was conspicuous; in tho Legislature as far back as 1879,•' when the first bearer of it became a member for Dunedin, which he represented in the House until 1890. In that year he was appointed to the Council,; sitting there until his death in 1898.His son, the present Hon. W. Downioi Stewart, Minister of Finance, has been t in the House since 1914. Another in-i stance of heredity in the House is that] of Messrs W. W. Massey and J. Is. Massey, sons of the late Right Hon.. W. F. Massey, the great leader of the Government of the war-time years, who have just been re-elected to the _Hauraki and Franklin seats respectively. Again, Mr S. G. Smith, Chairman of Committees in the last few weeks of the late Parliament, and Minister of Labour until the United Government was absorbed in the coalition, is a son of the late Mr E. M. Smith, who was a member for Taranaki for most .of theperiod from 1890 till his death, in 1907*