PATEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 November 1925, Page 5

PATEA.

SEAT WON FOR REFORM.

MR DICKIE »S BIG MAJORITY.

In the analysis of voting for the Patea electorate, given below;, the runaway victory gained by Mr Dickie is well evidenced., His majority is said to be the largest secured by a candidate in thisi electorate for many years.

Absentee votes, 429, to come. Last Election.—J. K. Corrigan (0.1, “ 84 L-M Dixon (G.), 3233; G. 3. Pearce tI.C.), 10a8 Majority for Corrigan, .151.

( • MB. H. G. DICKIE. Born at Waverley in 1874, Mr. H. 'G Dickie -was educated at the Waverley public school, where he proved himself to have the capabilities of a •scholar. The headmaster, Mr. Hill, * was anxious that lie should enter the ‘ teaching profession, but the life of the pioneer held attractions, and he and \ his two brothers, Charles (chairman of -.ihe Patea Freezing Company) and •Cliff (the well-known tennis player) ‘ tackled the bush at Kohi, where they had the satisfaction of winning a productive farm from the wilds, It is interesting to note that Mr. Dickie s . parents were pioneers in Ontario, and his father, who is now in his 89th .tear and halo and hearty, is one of the three last remainnig pioneers who fought at- Moturoa in 1868. Mr. . Dickie attained his first public position when the people of Kohi elected •- him a- member of the Bond Board. Membership of the Patea County Council Hospital and Harbour Boaids ' soon followed, and Mr. Dickie held , all these positions until he resigned to volunteer for war service in 1910. .It*..is significant that he has never been beaten in an election contest. Returning in 1918 he rendered good service to needy soldiers as a member of the patriotic committee; In 1920 fie and his brother went to England to study the marketing of produce and methods of farming in other countries. He returned to New Zealand in 1921, but the unstable nature of the meat sent him back again to Lonadon, where for fifteen months* he was in 'charge of the sale of meat at Smithfield mrrket for the Patea Company. jv\Almost immediately after his return to , "New Zealand a year ago Mr. Dickie

was persuaded to submit liis name in the ballot for a candidate for the Patea seat, and from three aspirants he was the chosen one. Mr. Dickie’s knowledge of the land problems of Taranaki is indicated by the fact that in 1914 he was appointed arbitrator for the lessees under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, , and he valued all the leases in the Waverley district. Although his_ life has been a busy one, Mr. Dickie has been a keen student and reader, _ and has found time to take a prominent part in various branches of sport.

WATCHING THEI RESULTS

SCENES IN TOWN

SPEECHES OF CANDIDATES

At Hawera a crowd of about two thousand gathered in front of the btur Office, where results were displayed on a large boarding specially constructed for the purpose. At 6.30 p.m. the first return was posted on the hoarding, the figures being the result of the polling at Moeawatea, where Mr. Dickie obtained a" majority of eleven votes to one. The voting at the Hawera booths, the figures for which became known at about 7 p.m., were taken as a good indication of how the final count would go 1 for the whole of the electorate and when it was seen that Mr Dickie had a majority of over 400 in Hawera, the returns that followed occasioned no great surprise. Various opinions were mentioned as to- how the decision of the electors of Waverley (Mr. Dickie’s home town) would go, but the views of Mr. Dickie’s supporters were confirmed when their candidate scored 362 votes against his opponent’s 292., Mr. Corrigan only obtained a majority at Patea and Mosstown, he securing 11 votes more than Dickie at the first mentioned centre and 33 votes more at the latter. With the figures showing a majority for Mr. Dickie of about 700, the two candidates mounted the platform. “Now boys, three cheers for Mr. Dickie!” called Mr. Corrigan, and the crowd responded heartily. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the proud position in which you have placed me,” said Mr. Dickie. Continuing, he thanked liis opponents for the splendid run they had given him at their meetings. He also- thanked his committee and the people of Hawera. He felt that the latter had taken him to a certain extent on trust, but he hoped, however, that their confidence would'nob be misplaced. Mr Corrigan congratulated Mr Dickie on his win. There was no mistake about it, he had done the job properly. From the figures it looked as though there was going to ho a great sweep throughout the country in favour of Reform. There could only be one winner. and old “Man o’ War” had done his best. “Give him a few more oats,” called a voice from the crowd. “He was too old and could not stay the distance,” continued Mr. Corrigan. He said, he was proud that the fight had been' a clean one and he added that, from what he knew of Mr. Dickie the people’s trust would not prove'to have been - misplaced. In conclusion, he thanked all who bad supported him and said be hoped to do his best in private life. There were no lively scenes during the evening, although the utmosV interest was displayed in the returns, a considerable portion of the crowd remaining until after 2 a.m.

SCENES AROUND ,THE BOOTH ' ’ £ There was, as always, a few just “on time’’ voters —the one or two who, as the cynic has expressed it, would be late for the last trump. Just as the clock was due to strike a car dashed up High Street towards the Presbyterian Hall with a voter. It was hoped he managed to exercise his privilege. At two minutes to six a voter applied at the office of the registrar wanting to record his vote. Ho was told to bustle up to the Winter Show building. and that he would bo just in time to vote. ,

At six o’clock there was not a vote* about, and the last, possibly enough the man who went to the registrar at 5.58,

went in a few seconds before the clock struck.

The registrar reported that on a visit to Whareroa he found the suburban booth having a busy time and the large number of ears round the booth was a surprise to him. The registrar, recalling that last election the first return to come in appeared at 0.20, was keen to see if this record would bo beaten. But the record stood, for it. was twenty-five minutes past the hour of closing before the first return was received by telegraph, and Moeawatea held the honour. Hawora racecourse was second, and then followed a batch, from down the line. The first of the Winter Show booths was next to show up, brought down by the deputy in person, and theneeforward the returns came in in batches until seven were left. Then there was further progress figures till well after nine o’clock. Mostsown, a fairly large total, was except for Makakaho, but it was only 19 o’clock when they came to 'hand and the final totals could be made up.

Corrigan Dickie Ahu Ahu Road (Te Tuhi) ‘Alton Aram oho 1 36 36 11 100 75 • Brunswick t ...... 2<6 120 Hawera, Winter Show ... Hawera, Pres. Hall f Hawera, St.. Mary’s .... .Hawera, Bacecoursa 765 384 .154 99 628 816 249 126 -Hurleyville 31 . 57 Kai Iwi 65 68 81 75 W Kohi 28 38 8 9 4 31 50 57 54 68 4 10 1 11 27 72 Monk’s Landing (Banana) Mosstown 0 177 20 7 144 40 25 49 1 8 4 17 25 25 3 13 10 12 307 296 3 7 It) 55 St. John’s Hill TV 'T'lihl • 45 1 121 4 88 S9 292 362 66 112 16 38 27 93 57 13 * Totals 3016 4210 Majority for Dickie, . ... 1194