POLITICAL

Patea Mail, 5 October 1938, Page 4

POLITICAL

PATEA ELECTORATE

NATIONAL TARTY CANDIDATE The supporters of the National Party in the Pntoa electorate are gratified to have as their candidate in the forthcoming Parliamentary election Mr. 11. G. Dickie, a proved man with a record in private and public life unblemished by any action that could lessen the respect in which he is held hy tree whole community of this coast. Born of pioneer parents who settled in the Waverify district in the ’sixties, Air. Dickie has lived a particularly useful and active life. Educated ax Waverlcy school he, with his brother Charles, took up farming in Waver ley when school days wore over, and later removed lo Kohi. It was no softhanded farming for tiio brothers. They .took up -and broke in 2000 acres of . rough bush country- and went tli rough the arduous experience of the pack-horse, slab-whary period uni Ml roads were put in. During this period Mr. Dickie was active in local body- work. He served as a member of the Kohi Road Board from 1893 to 1896, when the Road Board District was merged in the Patea County- Council, of which he became a councillor and vice-chairm'an until he resigned to go on active service. He was a member of the Patea Harbour Board and Patea Hospital Board for the same period, also & steward of the Wavcrley Racing Club until lie rame to reside in Hawcra, whore he has served for the past six years as a steward of the Egmont Racing Club. Farming at Kohi was continued till 1915, wjren Mr. H. G. Dickie enlisted and went on active service in the Great War, .'Military- service- in France ended with the Armistice and on Ihiis return to New Zealand Air. Dickie resumed farming for a .short period. Then followed a period of community- service, the full value of which it is difficult to estimate, but it was of immense benefit ito the farming Interests. Mr. Dickie became a director, and still is, of the Platen Freezing Co. He spent two years abroad, 1920—21, and in 192.1 —24 was for 15 months in London representing the Patea Freezing Co. In 19-21 there was a crisis in the affairs of lire meat industry- in the district and it is due to the efforts and to the substantial financial support then given by- a number of patriotic mien, among wham -the Dickie family- were prominent, that the meat works at Patea are in existence, to-day. The visits abroad and the experience in London gave Mr. Dickie his knowledge of the marketing of New Zealand products in Groat Britain, and it was while travelling in Holland that he and his brother Charles contcteived the idea of utilising the superfluous calves in. Now Zealand, and thus started t,he bobby- veal industry, which now exports over a million calves annually to Great Britain. Furthermore, the by-products of this industry- enabled the New Zealand Rennet Co. to establish the largest rennet producing factory- in the world.

It was after his return from London, in 1924, that Air. Dickie became a candidate for Parliament. He was re-

turned as member for Patea in 1925,

and has isucnessfully contested three subsequent elections, thus .coming before the elect,ors to-day with thirteen years of uninterrupted Parliamentary service. In (he House he has served on the Lands, Public Health, Education, Agricultural and Stock, .and tDefeuce Committees, still' being a member of the first three, and, for throe years was chairman of the Defence Committee. He was selected leader of the New Zealand delegation to the Umpire Parliamentary Conference in Loudon in 1935 and then toured all the dhiicf industrial towns in Great Britain. Tn 1929 Mr. Dickie went to Australia to inspect the Group Settlements in West Australia, also the Fairbridgo Farm School .scheme and farming condilions generally. iAmong other positions held he is a director of tike Egmont Galleries. The foregoing outline of Air. Dickie’s career conveys a fair idea of the opportunities open, and made 1 , for his gaining experieucte and knowledge qualifying him, to an exceptional degree', as a sound and worthy representative of a country constituency. In his service- to electors ho has never made any distinction between supporters and non-supporters, being elected he truly represented .the electorate as a whole, and never spared ,himself in time or effort when he could, as the member for the district serve the leigitiiuialo interests of either individuals or organisations. After - his election in 1925 he loft Waverly to reside in Hawera. The long term of his residence in Eve southern and northern portions respectively, and his activity, give him n very complete knowledge of every part of this widespread electorate. Tn Parliament Mr. Dickie has gainid honours and respect, and his partV arc proud of him and he 'will assnredlv bo a Minister of the Crown in tike near future.