FOURTEEN NEW MEMBERS

Southland Times, Issue 22836, 10 March 1936, Page 6

FOURTEEN NEW MEMBERS

Legislative Council MR T. F. DOYLE AMONG THE NOMINEES SIR CHARLES STATHAM INCLUDED (United Press Association.) Wellington, March 9. Fourteen new members of the Legislative Council have been nominated by the Labour Government. The list includes the previous Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Charles Statham, Mr John Alexander McCullough, a former workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court and a representative of the native race, Mi Rangi Mawhete, of Awapuni. The nominees will be sworn in when the new Parliament meets on March 25. The names of the nominated Legislative Councillors are:— Mark Briggs, of Palmerston North. Thomas Brindle, of Wellington. I Michael Connelly, of Dunedin. James Cotter, of Hinuera. Thomas Francis Doyle, of Bluff. Edward Dye, of Waihi. James Goodall, of Greymouth. George Robert Hunter, of Christchurch. Frank Edwin Lark, of Auckland. Bernard Marfin, of Auckland. Rangi Mawhete, of Awapuni. John Alexander McCullough, of Addington. Benjamin Conrad Robbins, of Tauranga. The Hon. Sir Charles Ernest Statham, of Wellington. The latest appointments bring the Legislative Council to its full strength of 40 members. Only three of the present members, the Leader of the Council, the Hon. Mark Fagan, the Hon. T. Bloodworth and the Hon. T. O’Byrne, are supporters of the Labour Party, which remains in a minority in the Houes.

The Hon. Thomas Brindle was born near Manchester (England) and came to New Zealand about the year 1912. He worked on the waterside at Wellington, and was a member of the Watersiders’ Union. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party and is connected with the Independent Labour and Socialist parties. For some years he was president of the New Zealand Labour Party. In 1919 he contested the Gisborne seat; in 1925 the Nelson seat; and in both 1928 and 1931 he sought election for Wellington suburbs. He has spoken against certain aspects of war administration. The Hon. M. Connelly was born at Karamea, Taranaki, where his father was a farmer. At an early age he went to the West Coast of the South Island where he was educated at a convent and at State schools. He followed mining for a few years after which he joined the railway service and soon became identified with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, occupying every position in the organization, including the Dominion presidency. He has been a member of the Railway Superannuation Board for the past nine years and a former representative on the Railway Appeal Board. As one of the founders of the only Labour daily newspaper in New Zealand, the Grey River Argus, Mr Connelly occupied a seat on the directorate and was the first secretary of the new company. He contested the Chalmers seat in 1925 in the interests of the Labour Party. He has been associated with various bands in the Dominion, having been a member of the Port Nicholson Silver Band when it was formed, while in sport he played senior Rugby football on the West Coast for a number of years. The Hon. T. F. Doyle was bom in Invercargill on June 6, 1893, and received his education at Bluff Public and Convent schools. Apprenticed to the marine engineering trade he followed that calling for 20 years, many of which were spent in the Mataura, Bluff and Ocean Beach freezing works. In 1927 he relinquished the engineering profession and purchased a business in Gore street, Bluff. Mr Doyle first entered local politics in 1919 as a councillor of the Borough of Bluff. He has served two terms as Mayor of Bluff, from 1921 to 1935; but did not seek re-election that year. In 1933 he was elected representative of the Borough of Bluff on the Bluff Harbour Board and re-elected at the last election. Mr Doyle served for four years as chairman of the Bluff Unemployment Committee and for five years as president of the Bluff Progressive League. Among many other local institutions with which he has been connected is the Bluff United Friendly Societies’ Dispensary. Of this he was a foundation member and occupied a seat on the board of management for some years, resigning when he entered business on his own account He is also a Past Grand of the Star of Bluff Lodge, No. 96, 1.0.0. F. Since his boyhood Mr Doyle has been associated with the Labour movement, and for several years held the office of secretary in the Bluff branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, of which branch he is a foundation member. A keen, fluent and forceful debater, Mr Doyle has rendered valuable service to his party. The Hon. G. R. Hunter was associated with the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in Australia before he came to New Zealand. He has been a life-long friend of Mr P. C. Webb and on his arrival in the Dominion took up mining with Mr Webb at Denniston. In 1910 he was elected secretary of the State Miners’ Union and held the position for several years. He was then appointed first Town Clerk of the Borough of Runanga, West Coast. Later he organized a co-oper-ative mine with Mr Webb. About 12

years ago Mr Hunter came to Christchurch and entered business with Mr Webb, forming the Point Elizabeth Coal Company of which he is now manager. Mr Hunter has served on the City Council and is a member of the Christchurch Drainage Board. Labour people describe the Hon. J. A. McCullough as one of the staunchest supporters the movement has ever had in the Dominion. He was employed years ago as a railway worker. In 1907 he was appointed the workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court and held that position for about 14 years. He was a member of the old Socialist Party which was so active about 30 years ago. In 1922 he stood for Riccarton at the general election and was defeated. He has been a member of the Riccarton branch of the Labour Party for many The Hon. Sir Charles Ernest Statham was born in Dunedin in 1875. He is the eldest and only surviving son of the Rev. Canon Charles Hadfield Statham. He was married in 1905 to Lilias Harata Hine te Aho, the daughter of Mr and Mrs William Burnett, Dunedin. They have one daughter. Sir Charles was educated at private schools and at the Otago Boys’ High School. He entered commercial life, trained as an accountant and also studied law. He became a solicitor in 1901 and qualified as a barrister in 1906. In 1911 he was elected to the Dunedin City Council and served on the council till he retired in 1913. He was a member of Parliament from December, 1911, till last year, representing Dunedin Central. From February 7, 1923, till the end of the last session of Parliament he was Speaker in the House. Sir Charles is president of the New Zealand Company of Master Mariners, the New Zealand Football Association, the Otago branch of the League of Nations Union and of the Otago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He is also associated with many other social and athletic organizations. In 1926 he received a knighthood and in 1929 was made a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Hon. Benjamin Conrad Robbins was born in Yarmouth, Novia Scotia, in 1856. He is a son of Captain B. Robbins. He was educated in public schools and at Yarmouth Academy. He is a storekeeper and dairy factory proprietor in Hawera and he has had a long career of public service. From 1885 to 1890 he was chairman of the Hawera School Committee; for 15 years he was a borough councillor; for seven years Mayor; from 1906 to 1909 he was chairman of the Hospital Board; for three years he acted as .chairman of the Fire Board; and he was also chairman of the Building Society and a member of the Wanganui Education Board. In 1895 he was president of the Fire Brigades’ Association and in 1899 held a similar position on the chamber of Commerce. He was Mayor of Tauranga from 1912 to 1915 and again in 1931. He is also actively associated with many other local and municipal organizations and has contested the Egmont and Tauranga seats.