TARANAKI MEMBERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1925, Page 11

TARANAKI MEMBERS.

NEW REPRESENTATIVES. MR. C. E. BELLRIXGER. (Who Is Leading.) The eldest son of the late Mr. James Bellringer, Mr. C. E. Bellringer was born in 18'64, and has lived all his life in New Plymouth. His first public service was as a member of the Central School Committee, and since then he has served on the New Plymouth Borough Council (1902 and 1904) and on the New Plymouth Harbour Board since 1913. k As a member of the harbour board he has done good service for the district, and in 1922 he was elected chairman, a position which he has held throughout the most important stage of the development of the port. He was for a long time a member of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade, and was superintendent when he resigned in 1897. In the cause of Prohibition he has always been a keen worker. From 1807 to 1902 Mr. Bellringer was town clerk. He retired in 1002 to carry on his father’s business after the latter’s death. In recent times Mr. Bellringer represented New Plymouth for several years on the Taranaki War Belief Association. On tour previous occasions Mr. Bellringer unsuccessfully contested the Taranaki seat at the elections. In 1905, as an Independent, he was third in a field of five, Mr. E. M. Smith (Liberal) defeating Mr. H. J. H. Okey (Conservative) for the honour. In *l9OB Mr. Okey (who had gained the seat at a by-elec-tion in 1906) was successful in holding his- position, Mr. W. J. Malone (Independent) being second and Mr. Bellringer third. In 1911 Mr. Bellringer, still in the Liberal interests, polled 2561 votes to Mr. Okey’® 3315. His next candidature was in 1922 as a Reform supporter, when he fully extended Mr. S. G. Smith, t'he polling being 4266 and 4400 votes respectively. MR. E. WALTER. Mr. E. Walter was born in Cornwall, England, and came to New Zealand in 1886, residing first at Cambridge (Waikato). He visited various parts of the Dominion in the early days and spent some time at Feilding, coming finally to Taranaki from liawke’e Bay in 1894 and settling on his present farm at Douglas. For 31 years Mr. Walter gradually deyelpped. liis cares, and is now one of the best known farmers in Central Taranaki. As an 1 early settler in the Stratford district, M r - Walter keenly appreciated the problems of developing a young co lint and in his characteristic vigorous manner spared neither time *nor effort in assisting his adopted country, fo. progress. Sixteen years is a long time to serve as a member of a local body, but this is the record of Mr. Walter’s connection with the Stratford County Council. During the last eight years he has occupied the position of chairman. Mr. Walter has also served on the Stratford Hospital Board for a number of years, and for the past twelve years has been chairman of the Douglas School Committee. Mr. Walter also did good work in his capacity of chairman of the local revaluation committee when hundreds of soldier farms were visited and revalue!. MR. 0. J. HAWKEN. Mr. Oswald J. Hawken was born at Kakaramea in 1870; and was one of the first white children born in South Taranaki. His pepole were some of the first settlers in the New Plymouth district, and at one time they farmed the old mission station between New Plymouth and the breakwater. Mr. Hawken senr. was an old Maori war veteran. Mr. Hawken was educated at the Kakaramea public school and later at the Patea school. He commenced farming on his own account at the age of 20, and he has been engaged in farming at different places ever since. Mr. Hawken has had a wide experience in public life, and prior to his return to Parliament as member for Egmont he was closely associated with many local bodies. For nine years he did good work as a member of the Patea County Council and was on the Board of Agriculture for some years. He Was also on the Wool Committee of New Zealand arranging sales aiid working in with the B.A.W.R.A. in Australia. He was also bn the Egmont Agricultural Association for a number of years, being president for two years, and he is at present on the executive of : the-'Royal Agricultural Society. Mr. Hawken was returned as member of the Egmont electorate in 1919 and again in 1922. During his six years in Parliament he has fulfilled several important positions, being chairman of the Dairy Industry Committee to inquire into the Control Act; chairman of the Auditor-General’s Report Committee, and lie was one of the private members who formulated the Meat Control Act for the Government. MR. H; G. DICKIE.Mr. H. G. Dickie was born at Waverley in 1874, and was educated at the public school. He and his two brothers ,Charles (chairman of the Patea Freezing Company) and Clif (the well-known tennis player) tackled the bush at Kohi, Where they had the satisfaction of winning a productive farm from the wilds. Mr. Dickie attained his first public position when the' people of Kohi elected him a member of the road board. Membership of the County Council, Hospital and Harbour Boards soon followed, and Mr. Dickie held all these positions until he' resigned to volunteer for war service in 1915. Returning in 1918 he rendered' good service to needy soldiers as a member of the patriotic 'committee. In 1920 he and his brother went to England to. study the marketing of produce and methods of farming in other countries. He returned to Xew Zealand in 1921. but the unstable nature of the meat markets sent him back again to London, Where for fifteen months he was in charge of the sale of meat at the Smithfii .d market for the Patea Company. Almost immediately after his return to New Zealand a year ago Mr. Dickie was persuaded to submit his name in the ballot for a candidate for the b’atea sear, and from three aspirants he was* the chosen one. Mr. Dickie’s knowledge of the land problems of Taranaki is indicated by the fact that in 1914 he was appointed arbitrator for the lessees under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, and he valued all the leases in the Waverlcy district. >\l though his life has been a busy one, Mr. Dickie has been a keen student and reader,- and has found, lime to take a prominent /part in various xbra.mh.es of

MR. J. C. ROLLESTON. ‘ >

Mr. J. C. Rolleston first entered th* political field in 1922, when he defeated the sitting member for W&itomo, Mr. W. T. Jennings, the Liberal candidate, by a majority of 25 votes. He is a son of th© late Hon. Wm. Rolleston. first Minister for Lands in the Atkinson Government. He was born in South Canterbury in 1878, and was educated at Christ’s College, Christchurch. On leaving school, Mr. Rolleston indulged, in farming pursuits in Canterbury before taking up his residence in T© Kuiti fifteen years ago. At th© outbreak of the Great War he volunteered for service in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles and left New Zealand as a trooper with the Main Body. He was severely wounded on Gallipoli. On his return to New Zealand h» served for a while with Tripp and Rolleston, a well-known Timaru firm, before returning to Rangitoto, where he had taken up a bush farm prior to the outbreak of war.