"MR. PARKER'S DAY WILL COME"

Thames Star, Volume LXI, Issue 16991, 30 September 1927, Page 5

"MR. PARKER'S DAY WILL COME"

A CHANGE INDICATED. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S PREDICTIONS •TURNOVER OP VOTES REMARKABLE. Sir Joseph Ward said that so long -.as the first-past-the-post system was In force, there must he' uncertainty with a number of candidates in the -field. The turn-over of so many votes since the last election was quite remarkable, and indicated that public opinion was moving rapidly in the direction of a change. Mr Parker was a fine stamp of man, •.and his day would come if he wished it. MR. W. LEE MARTIN. A PERSONAL SKETCH. The new member for Raglan, Mr W. Lee Martin, was born in Oamaru in 1870 and educated at the Waimate District High School and Normal School, Christchurch. For six years he was an officer in the Salvation Army on the West Coast, in Dunedin, Tapa-

nui, Rangiora, Woodville, Gore and Oamaru. Later he took an active part in the Labour movemnet in Wanganui. He was secretary of the Wanganui Painters' Union, represented the tramway employees on the Tramway Appeal •Board, and was representative of Wanganui unipns before the 1910 Education Commission. For six years he was a member of the Wanganui Technical College Board. Of recent years Mr Martin has been farming at Ma- ; tangi»and has taken a considerable part in district affairs there as member of the Tamahere Road Board, Central Power Board, Matangi School Committee and the Matangi Glaxo Factory Suppliers' Committee. For 30 years "he has been a worker in friendly so-

cieties. In 1925 Mr Martin contested the Hamilton seat, polling 1900 votes again 6300 cast for the Hon. J. A. Young. * . Mrs Joseph Martin, of Devonport, is the new member's mother, and, although she is in her 91st. year, she took the greatest interest last evening in following the progress of the election. She livs with her youngest son, the Rev. J. F. Martin. NEW BOUNDARIES TO APPLY. NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. The Raglan by-election was fought - within the old electoral boundaries, but -the new boundaries will apply at the - general election at the end of n<£xt year. <r» n t.i n nn next column.)

Some material changes were made by the Representation Commission. The chief is the excision from the electorates of its northern corner. The only centres retained north of the Waikato River are Tuakau and Whangarata. Districts transferred from Raglan to Franklin are Waiuku, Glenbrook, Puni, Aka Aka, Otaua,. Pukeoware and the outskirts of Pukekohe, Pukekohe East and Pukekohe Hill. Coming south, the eastern boundary is at first little altered. Huntly is still included, although there is a smaller eastward sweep to include it. Thence the Waikato River is followed closely to Ngaruawahia, Taupiri being excluded. Taupiri becomes part of the Wai- j kato electorate. Ngaruawahia and Horotiu are still included in Raglan. South of the Hamilton electorate the new boundary bites into the old Waikato electorate, taking compensation here for what it lost to Franklin in the north. , Centres taken from Waikato include* the outskirts of Cambridge and Te Awamutu, Ohaupo, Paterangi, Te Rore, Pirongia, Harepepe and Te Pahu.