BY-ELECTION FOR HUTT SEAT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18946, 17 December 1929, Page 10

BY-ELECTION FOR HUTT SEAT.

“ STAR ” WILL DISPLAY POLLING RETURNS. The "Star” and "Times” has made arrangements for displaying progress and final returns of the polling * n Hutt by-election to-morrow. Polling will close at 7 p.m., and it is expected that the first progress return will be received before 7.30, and the final result, except for absentee and postal votes, about nine o'clock. The returns will be posted outside the “Star” and “Times” office, in Gloucester Street. Keen interest is being taken in the by-election, which was rendered necessary in consequence of the resignation of the Hon T. M. Wilford, who has been appointed High Commillfoner for New Zealand in London. At the general election last year Mr Wilford (United) polled 7283 votes against 5978 polled by Mr W. Nash, the Labour candidate. Mr Wilford’s total was the largest secured by any candidate at last year’s general election. There are three candidates contesting the seat at the by-election:— JAMES KERR (United). HAROLD F. JOHNSTON (Reform). WALTER NASH (Labour). At the commencement of the campaign Mr H. D. Bennett announced that he intended to contest the seat as an Independent candidate, but he later withdrew from the contest. The following are brief personal particulars of the candidates:— Mr James Kerr (United) is a native of Greymouth, West Coast, and the eldest son of the Hon James Kerr, M.L.C. He was educated at the Grey High and served his apprenticeship in the “Grey River Argus," afterwards becoming manager. In 1912 he took charge of the “Hutt and Petone Chronicle,” and later became its proprietor. Mr Kerr has considerable experience in local body work, having for twelve years been a member of the Grey Education Board, and chairman for three consecutive terms; member of the Grey Borough Council for twelve years; Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and various other local bodies. In 1909 he stood for the Grey seat against Sir Arthur Guiness, Speaker of the House, and was defeated by a small majority. Mr Kerr is at present a member of the Petone Fire Board, a member of the Petone Beautifying and Foreshore Improvement Society, an associate member of the Petone Borough Council, ex-presi-dent of the Central Bowling Club, president of the Petone Amateur Athletic and Cycling Cliib, president of the Petone Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Hutt Valley High School Board of Governors; one of the foundation members of the United Party, and at present a member of the executive; and for the past sixteen h w?-ir be S” chairman of the Hon ' I \T M VT WII , f J OI 3 election committee. Mr Harold F. Johnston (Reform) was born in Wellington in 1875, and is the fourth son of the late Sir Charles Johnston, member of the Legislative Council, and at the time of his death Spealcer of the Legislative Council. He received his education at the Wanganui Collegiate School and at Trinity Col55®?* P x ford, where he graduated as B.A. in 1897. Hp was a member of Lincolns Inn, and was called to the English Bar in 1897, and later in the same year he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Mr Johnston served with the London Scottish in the Great War. He was president of the Wellington Law Society in 1928, and is now a member of the council of the society. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee to the T. G. Macarthy Board of Governors. Mr Walter Nash (Labour) was bom at Kidderminster, England, in 1882, and came to New Zealand in 1909. He has been a member of the New Zealand Labour Party since its reorganisation in 1917, and was elected to the national executive in 1918. In 1920 he represented New Zealand at the International Labour Conference held at Geneva, and two years later he was elected national secretary of the party, a position which he still holds. He was in charge of the relief organisation in the New Plymouth district during the epidemic in 1918. Keenly interested in international questions, he is the Dominion treasurer of the League of Nations Union. He has been a member of the New Zealand branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations since its inception, and was elected leader of the New Zealand delegation to the second biennial conference held at Honolulu in 1927. He is at present chairman of the Wellington group of the institute, and was invited to attend the third conference just concluded at Kyoto, Japan. For many years he has been associated with the Church of England Men’s Society, and he has held the position of secretary of the society in the Wellington diocese. Mr Nash was the official Labour candidate for the Hutt seat at the general election in 1925, and in a straight-out contest with Mr Wilford was beaten by a majority of 1794 votes. At the general election last year, he was again beaten in a straight-out fight with Mr Wilford, whose majority was 1305.