WANGANUI NATIONAL PARTY’S CANDIDATE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 122, 29 May 1946, Page 4

WANGANUI NATIONAL PARTY’S CANDIDATE

THREE NOMINATIONS SO FAR RECEIVED FINAL CHOICE NEXT MONTH. Messrs. E. W. Merewether, A. C. Seivewright and A. R. Donaldson hav* been nominated for selection as National Party candidate to contest the Wanganui Parliamentary seat at the general election this year. Nominations for selection close oat Friday, and it is expected that ths Electorate Committee’s choice, subject to approval by Dominion headquarters, will he announced early tn June. There may be one, perhaps two, more nominations. Mr. Donaldson, agreed to nomination some days ago, and Mr. Selvewrighl.’s decision to offer himself fo» selection was made following a request made to him at a meeting of businessmen yesterday morning. Mr. Merewether Mr. E. W. Merewether, who deputy Mayor, came to Wanganui in 1914, but was away on war service tz until 1918, when he started in busi- A ness here. He is patron and pastry president of the Wanganui branch of * the Returned .Services’ Association, and was recently presented with the Dominion Gold Star for his services to the association. Mr Merewether w managing director of the Merewether Motor Co. Ltd., a past president of the Dominion Garage Proprietors’ At* sqciation. He topped the poll at the City Council elections two years ago, when he was elected as a Citizen’s Association candidate. As chairman of the Council’s Servicemen’s Entertainment Committee, Mr. Merewether played W prominent part in welcoming Wanganui men home during the war years, when he was also engaged in Home Guard activities. Mr. Merewether is a member of the Wanganut District Licensing Committee. He was awarded the Royal Humane Society’! Silver Medal in lf>ls. Mr. Donaldson Mr. Donaldson has been actively associated with the community Me of Wanganui for more than 25 years, and is at present a city councillor and a Justice of the Peace. He has successfully organised many community projects, from the first shopping week in 1924 to the Cancan » Fighting Fund, when £13,600 was mis- F ed for equipment for the hospital, and was secretary of the Wanganui Rotary Club for eight years. At present he is the secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and of Federated Farmers, and a member of the Oil Fuel Advisory Committee and the advisory committee of the Plunket Society. He was the first chairman ot the National Savings Committee and, during the war, was secretary of the Primary Production Council. Mr. Seivewright Mr. Seivewright was horn in Scotland and came to New Zealand alter World War I. He was attracted by merchandising and eventually joined the staff of Hallenstein Brothers as sales organiser. He came to Wanganui 14 years ago and entered business at this centre. He was a member of the Second Wellington West Coast Regiment for two years in World War II and on his release from military service founded the Seivewright Advertising Agency. Mr Seivewright has maintained varied business interests in the city, and was one of the founders and organisers of the Western Co-operative Building Society. He took a prominent part in war. loan activities and is a member of executive of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce. Mr. C. S. Smith, who called the meeting, which waited on Mr. Seivewright, said that he felt that a proper effort had not been made by the business community to find a candidate. On the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded hv Mr. J. S. Leach, the meeting asked Mr. Seivewright to nominate and pledged its full support should he he selected as the National Party candidate for the electorate. Mr. Seivewright said that whtle he was not seeking the position, he felt that anyone who was called on by his fellow citizens for such a service was in duty hound to offer himself. Mr. Seivewright said that when no nominations had come forward he had asked Mr. Donaldson to offer his services. and had himself completed Ma, Donaldson's nomination.