OUR GOVERNOR ELECT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 April 1910, Page 2

OUR GOVERNOR ELECT.

FURTHER PERSONAL HISTORY

Writing to tho "Press," one who knows him thus describes our new Governor: As soon as lie fame of age the younger Poynder assumed the name of his uncle, and became Sir John Poynder Dickson-Poynder. He took the oath of a Justice of the Peace, in respect to his Wiltshire estates, Hnrthiui and Hihmwtou, .some ten miles away, in the ,Marlhorough Down County. Ho let il bo known that he accented tho ordinary Conservative tenets of the English country gentleman, intended to settle down to n country life, and would be .Tii aspirant for Parliamentary honours. From tho very first he. displayed the practical si do of his maternal ancestors who had all been successful, indeed, noted sailors nnd soldiers. ft was discovered 'that Harthan contained quarries of beautiful box stone that has made. Hath one of the most beautiful of cities, and the young baronet threw all Ilis engeries into developing an industry that employs hundreds of men at Corsham and Box. Tn 1892 he wa.s asked to contest the North Western Division of Wiltshire , , which had arisen on the ashes of tho extinguished borough of Chippenham. for so many years so worthily represented by Sir John's immediate neighbour, the venerable Sir Gabriel Goldney. The Liberals at that time Were determined to wrest the old aristocratic county of Wiltshire from the political grasp of the great Tory i families and those best qualified to judge were of the opinion that the well set up young bachelor squire of Harthan, with his handsome fsieo, attractive manner, and pleasant, choery ways, was the only man likely to save the seat. Their prognostications were- verified. Walter Long wiis beaten at Devizes by J. M. Fuller, who is now a Liberal Minister, bub Sir John safely defeated, though by a very narrow margin, "Charlie" HobhouKe, also now a Liberal Minister, and \\on golden opinions on all sid&s Ho took a great part in the 1895 general election when Wiltshire ejected every Liberal member. This time a Liberal tenant farmer was put up against nim, but the results proved thrt the quarrymen of Corsnam, rhe baton eurers and packers of Cain- , , the railway workers of Ohi'jp;uli.r.n, ana the agricultural labourers or" the villages had not tired ol Sir John, who invariably paid geod wages, was always well up to the front, across a stiff country when (nut with "the dukes," attended n> gnhirly the Sberston and Cr.ksey hunt and races, and drove bis beautifully appointed four-in hand to Salisbury and "the Bibury ' racv .vi.iise. About tihis time Sir Jdin Ivg'in to address himself with his us ial energy to the aflV.*s of cie ■• !'•(> .ui.-t successful and. Ivst n:«inu »r! fnci.div societies Unit exist any ivi'.i' \'v/., tho Wilts--n'3 \\ if.'g Men's Conservative Benefit Society, and in the year following the general election Corsham gave an enthusiastic welcome to the beautiful .Miss Dundas, wiho had consented to become Lady Dickson-Poynder. <n 1898 came the real turning poiiiifc in his careor, when London electwl him to its County Council. Here he found his party in a, great minority, and there can be no doubt that rubbing shoulder to shoulder with Progressives like John Burns, Captain Hem-phill, and Lord Monkswell, not only enlarged Sir John's political (horizon, but profoundly modified his views. All too soon was be called away from this useful social work to take over his lairiment of Wiltshire Yeomanry to Sojith Africa. . Lord Methuen appointed him ono of his A.D.C.'s and Sir John returned with an. excellent • •hameter, for sound military suv-

■/ice :md, with bis D.S.O. At tho "Khsiki" election Ohipepnhnm was naturally proud to S'iii'i.her returned =vol-die.r hero once more as her member, but keen observers were pretty •■ertain -that a crisis in his political

career was near at hand. Sir John was exceedingly restless and ill at en so [luring the passing v\ Mr Bnlfour's EdiK-niion Hill. Ho showed great and natural annoyance when the House of Lords threw out the Thames Embankment Trams Bill, which he had helped to steer through the- House of Commons, and wovso blian all, he was (lead against nny interference •witih freo trade. Tt was known, at any rate, or guessed, tliat for some time "'isthe liad looked anxiously fox an invitntinn from Swindmi, that is the Crickdale or Northern Division cf the county. Swindon that had ewitout (500 men to the war, and maintained t)y the private subscriptions of its citizens, the wives and families of those soldiers; Swindon that hns since .sent to T'arliament a follow companion at the war of Sir John's, n.imply, Colonel Callev, of Burderon Park. At Swindon Sir John would breathe a thoroughly progressive imperialistic and tleniocratio, albeit Conservativp, air, but from thnt railwav centre no invitntion came. Tn 1905 Rir John, t/O tlie pain of nvuiy, hut to the surprise of few, "rosso;! to the Liberal benches in the House of Commons.