PERSONAL

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1937, Page 4

PERSONAL

Visitors to Keller’s Hotel include:— Mr b. v,. Howard (Hamilton), Mr, Mrs and Miss Burston (England) Mr R. O. Tait, Mis. s Tait (Sydney), Mr H. G. Barker (England), Mr R. F. Barrett (England), Mr and Mrs J. R. Williamson, Mrs W. P. Baker, Mr J. B. Webb (Wellington), Mr C. Hill (Wellington). Mr J. P. O’Regan, the newly appointed acting judge of the Arbitration Court, at the age of 21 left his father’s farm in the Inangahua Valley and turned to journalism. After editing the Reeftou “Guardian” and later the Inangahua “Times’’. He contested the Inangahua seat at the general election of 1893 against Sir Robert Stout. Later in the same year he was successful in a by-election and remained a member of the House for six years, being defeated in the Duller electorate in 1899. At- that time he was also a member of the Westport Harbour Board. In the next few year s Mr O’Regan studied law earnestly, and he has practised in Wellington since 1905. In the first years of the century he was a member of both the Wellington City Council and the Victoria College Council. As a member of Parlia-j ment Mr O’Regan’s greatest advocacy was for proportional representation, and he introduced the Proportional Representation Bill in the House, no fewer than three times. In his last year in Parliament the second reading of the Bill w y as carried.