THE WAIKATO SEAT

Putaruru Press, Volume XX, Issue 1193, 1 August 1946, Page 4

THE WAIKATO SEAT

TWO CANDIDATES APPROVED National and Labour Nominations To date it would appear that the contest for the- new Waikato seat i will be a clear-cut one between Mr. G. F. Sim, M.P., who now represents the Rotorua electorate, and Mr. G. C Dunham,' of Tokoroa, who has been announced as the official Labour Party candidate. Interesting particulars of the careers of both candidates are appended. Mr. G. F. Sim, M.P. Mr. Sim, who*. i s 35 years of age, was bem of New Zealand parents in Gisborne, in the year 191 L His grandfather, on his mother’s side. Mr. A. A. Fantham, was one of the early pioneers of this country and settled and developed land in the Cambridge district. That pro- : perty is well-known to people residing in the Waikato, and also to many others throughout New Zealand, as St. Peter’s School. Mr. Sim, himself, was born and brought up on the land. He had three years secondary school education, of which one year was spent at the Pukekohe Technical School where he won the agricultural prize and in the same yean* the A. and P. Society's junior prize for judging Shorthorn cattle. He spent the remaining two year’s at King’s College, Mangere. On leaving school his one ambition was to go on the land, and he took his first position on a sheep station in the Port Waikato district. During the depression, when work was sometimes hard to procure, Mr. Sim took on bush-felling, fencing contracts and shearing. In the latter undertaking he had a tally of 230 per day to his credit, with the result that he had continuous employment during this period. At the age of 23 years Mr Sim was, for two years, managing a 17,000-acre sheep station, one year of which the owner was absent in England, and for further experience he joined the ptaff of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., where for three and a half years he wa s employed as their stock and station (agent at Waiuku. When war broke out he was also supervising two farms in that district. When suitable ar- j rangements had been made for the w. If are of these properties, he volrnieered for oveioeag service early 1 in 1940, and lateir in that year he i was called into camp, finally going | overseas in April, 1941. He was wounded in the campaign at Sidi Rezegh and returned home in March, 1942. j On his discharge from hospital, and with the 1943 general elections ■ pending, Mr. Sim was selected as the National Party’s candidate for the Rotorua electorate and was sue- ; eessful in defeating the sitting ’ Labour member, and this electorate he has served and represented in I Pa'i'liament since 1943. Before the war, Mr.** Sim was ■well known in the sporting field. He was very interested in boxing, at which he won the light-weight title at school, and while in the Army also represented his unit. At foot-1 ball, he was a member of his school’s firrst fifteen and later for

three oeasons played representative football for the Waikato Rugby Union. As a very keen horseman and competitor, he was well-known at agricultural and pastoral shows in the Auckland and Waikato districts and is now a qualified judge of hacks and hunters.

Mr. G. C. Dunham Mr. George Carley Dunham, who has been selected as Labour Party candidate to contest the Waikato seat at the general election, was born at Ruahene in 1896. He was educated at Rata Primary School and Marton High School. After leaving school, Mr. Dunham worked on hip father’s farm at Rata for several years. He served overseas in World War 1., with four other v rothers. ’ On returning, he took up i soldier’s farm at Kaharoa, near Rotorua, which he occupied for- four years. He was also in business for several yearo as a storekeeper at Mataroa. He took up farming in the Tokoroa district in 1934, and is carrying on successfully in this area to-day. Mr. Dunham was chairman of the Tokoroa School Committee for several years, also chairman of the Tokoroa Hall Society, chairman of the Tokcroa Progress League and a member of the Matamata Primary Production Council during its term of activity. During the past five yeafo, Mr. Dunham has been a

member of the Matamata County Council, a position which he still holds. He has always taken a keen, interest in all sporting activiciea and for several years he was chairman of the executive of the Putaruru Rugby Sub-union. Mr. Dunham hep been actively associated with the Labour Party for a number of years, and has been president of the Tokoroa branch.