N.Z. LABOUR PARTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 April 1929, Page 5

N.Z. LABOUR PARTY.

KI.KCTIOX OF OFFICERS

Telegraph—Prcsa Assoroatiuii.) AVI'ILLIN.CiTOA, April -

Except for ,the ■election of president and oil.icons practically the whole of the time of the conference of the Boyi Zealand Labour Early at the Trade Hall to-dav was taken up with .the discussion of internal organisation and finance. , The day’s programme was concluded well within time in the afternoon and in the evening a social was tendered to the delegates by the Wellington Labour Representation Committee. The election of officers resulted: President, Mr J. Thorn (Wellington), unopposedj vice-president, the Lev. J. K. Archer ('Christchurch); secretary, and treasurer, Mr W. Nash, for the eighth year in succession, unopposed. Members of the national .executive elected were: President members, Messrs T. Bundle, W. Bromley, L. MeIlrov, W. Atkinson and Mrs Semple. Divisional area members: Messrs J. G. Barclay (North Auckland), M. J. Savage, M.P. (Auckland City), W. E. Barnard, M.P. (Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay) J. S. Montgomery (Auckland provincial), W. J. Rogers, Mayor of Wanganui (Taranaki and King Country), .T. Whittle (Manawatu and lahiatua), ,W. Taylor (Hutt, Otaki and Wairarapa), T. Parfitt (West Coast), p It. Cooke (iCanterbury), E- Jones (Otago). South Canterbury and Southland have yet to be elected. Mr J. Thorn, Wellington, the newlyelected president, was born at Christchurch In 1905 lie was selected as a Labour candidate for Christchurch South. He organised the Canterbury farm labourers and had charge of their case before the Arbitration Court. Be spent .several vears in Great Britain, , where he was actively engaged in party Labour activities and journalism. On his return to New Zealand in 1913 he immediately commenced 'working for the trade union movement, and in 1914 unsuccessfully contested the Palmerston North seat. He lias for a long period been secretary of the Labour Representation Committee and lie has also been editor of the “New Zealand Worker’’ for the past seven or eight years.