NATIONAL PARTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 74, Issue 6365, 2 May 1947, Page 5

NATIONAL PARTY

NORTHERN DIVISION MEETING REORGANISATION IN WAITOMO ELECTORATE The annual general meeting of the New Zealand National Party, Northern Division of the Waitomo Electorate was held last week in the Parish Hall, Te Kuiti. The Waitomo Electorate Committee was recently re-organised by splitting the electorate into a northern and southern division with a central committee, and with the electorate office at Waitara.

The meeting on Tuesday was the first annual meeting of the northern division, iand there was an attendance of 50 delegates. Apologies were tendered and sustained for further 20 delegates and from the member for the district, Mr W. J. Broadfoot. The chairman, Mr C. S- Alexander, in his annual report for the year, thanked the committees working under him for the excellence of their work in the recent election campaign. As a result of their efforts and the outstanding work of the organiser, Mr J. Freyne, Mr Broadfoot was returned to office with the fifth highest majority in New Zealand. The chairman’s report was received with acclamation, and Mr E. W. Larsen congratulated Mr Alexander on his untiring work during the past year and upon the excellent report he had presented to the meeting. Mr Freyne showed in his report for the past year that the contributions made had been good, but he stressed that the results achieved in the election campaign in Waitomo should not be permitted to engender a false sense of security, and urged that more individual effort should be shown by the branches during the coming year than was previously apparent. Mr Alexander paid tribute to the service given to the party by the late Mr T. Carroll, of Te Kuiti, and the late Mr Strawbridge, of Otorohanga, and the meeting paid tribute to their memory by observing a minute’s silence. Election of Officers Chairman, Mr C- S. Alexander; executive, Messrs J. Hine, D. Ormsby. Willis Walker (Te Kuiti-Te AngaRangitoto), E. W. Larsen (Pio Pio), R. Boddy nui), J. Telfer, J. Pye, Grierson (Otorohanga-Honikiwi-Kio Kio), L. Miller (Maihiihi), C. Barrett (Ngu-tunui-Kawhia-Oparau), A. Gray (Te Kawa-Tokanui Cross Roads-Pokuru-Te Mawhai), Richmond (KorokpnuiWharepuhunga4Ngaroma) • Lady representatives: Mrs Cullen (Pio Pio), Mrs Pye (Otorohanga). The following were co-opted to, the executive: Messrs W. Walters, J. Dempster, C. McDonald, Puku Anderson, P. S. Cullen and G. C. Miln. Delegates to central executive: Messrs C. Alexander, J. Dempster, J. Hine, E. W. Larsen and L. Miller; substitute delegates, Messrs D. Ormsby and Pye.

A recommendation to the central executive was carried that the central executive appoint six delegates to the South Auckland division meeting and that two of them should be ladies. Nominations submitted in accord with this recommendation Were Messrs W. Walters, C. Alexander and Mrs Reeve-Smith; substitutes, Messrs Hine, Larsen and Mrs Pye.

Another recommendation to the central executive was that four delegates be sent from the Waitomo Electorate to the Dominion annual conference, and Messrs C- Alexander and Pye were nominated tc represent the northern division.

The meeting decided to send a letter of congratulation on his excellent majority to Mr Broadfoot, at the same time expressing the hope that he would be fit and well again. Mr Broadfoot, in a telegram received, indicated that he hoped to be “on deck” in three weeks’ time.

Mr Puku Anderson addressed the meeting, urging that steps be taken to foster interest amongst the party’s Maori supporters.

An address on matters of common interest Was given by Mr H. E. Walters, chairman of the South Auckland division. Mr Walters congratulated the divisional committee and its branches on the fine work carried out during the past 12 months.