MOTUEKA BY-ELECTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21342, 17 November 1932, Page 12

MOTUEKA BY-ELECTION

THREE CANDIDATES ENTERED

CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS

[by telegraph—PP.ESS association] NELSON, Wednesday Nominations for the Motueka seat, made vacant by the death of Mr. G. C. C. Black, closed to-day and are as follows: Mr. K. J. Holyoake, Official Coalition. Hon. R. McKenzje, Liberal-Labour. Mr. P. C. Webb, Official Labour. The election will be held on Thursday, December 1

Mr. Holyoake was the official Coalition Reform candidate for Motueka at the general election last December, and was defeated by the late Mr. Black (Independent) by 4180 votes to 3663. He is 29 years of age. For 15 years Mr. Holyoake has been interested in mixed farming—hops, tobacco, fruit and dairying. lie is keenly interested in sport, having represented Motueka-Golden Bay in the Seddon Shield Rugby football contest for eight years. He has also represented Motueka for many years at lawn tennis. Tho Hon. Roderick McKenzie, who is 80 years of oge, was a member of Parliament. from 1393 to 1914. lfe was born in Scotland in 1852 and came to New Zealand in 1869. He was returned to Parliament in 1893, defeating the celebrated Eugene O'Connor, "the Duller Lion." Three years later he won the Motueka seat, which ho continued to hold for the rest of his Parliamentary career. In ISO 6 he was elected Chairman of Committees of the House in succession to the Hon. John Millar. After the general election of 1908 he joined the Ward Government as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Mines. Later he took over the Department of Roads and Bridges and the Ministry of Customs. In the 1913 elections Mr. McKenzie was defeated in tho Motueka contest by Mr. R. P. Hudson, and he has not since been seen in Parliament, but devoted his attention to his profession as an engineer and contractor.

Mr. Webb was elected as member for Grey at a by-election in July, 1913, following the death of tho Speaker, Sir Arthur Guinness. He was ro-etacted member for Grey at tho general election of 1914. As the result of a speech made during a successful election campaign at Grevmouth he was sentenced to three months* imprisonment for sedition. Mv. Webb made no secret of the fact that he was opposed to conscription. As the result of his 6tand on the conscription issue Mr. Webb resigned his scat in 1917. He was elected unopposed for Grev in the following month, December, 19i7. Two months later Mr. Webb was imprisoned for re fusing to obey a conscription call to join the Expeditionary Forces. A short session of Parliament was held during April, and as Mr. Webb was still in prison ho was unable to attend the session. On April 20 tho Grey soat was declared vacant. In recent years Mr. Webb has been in business in Christchurch.