BEN ROBERTS

Shannon News, 27 October 1925, Page 1

BEN ROBERTS

Mr. Ben-Roberts, the selected Labour the Manatvatu seat, was born at Liverpool, and is now 45 years -of age. He is therefore in his prime, and the electors will know before the numbers go up that he has plenty of punch. He left school before he was thirteen, and went on to a farm aj plough boy at 1/6 per week. Continuing as a farm labourer, he was getting 15/- a week to keep a wife and four children upon, when he determined, by the help of his friends, to try his luck in New' Zealand. ' He came out in 1907 to friends in the Wairarapa and has remained there ever since. Starting as a farm labourer, he next took over a Coal and Wood business in Carterton, during which time he served 6 years on the Carterton Borough Council In 1916 he went on to the land, his farm being part of the Carter Estate, which is very poor wet land.

A prominent landowner gave Mr. Roberts two years to be bankrupt, but he has weathered the slump. During the nine years he , has been on the land, he has not only worked his way up from nothing, but has worked indefatigably for all his fellow farmers. When the Dairy Farmers’ Union started, he got into the organisation with “both feet,” was elected President of the Provirivial District, and has held that position for three years. He has also been on the Dominion Executive for three years, and is known as a forceful speaker and keen debater, a champion of the struggling farmed. He has been six years chairman, Parkvale School Committee, ungrudgingly giving his time for the children’s welfare. , Three years ago his fellow fanners made him chairman of the Parkvale Co-operative Dairy Company, and by his initiative and foresight that company is loked upon as a progressive concern. Mr. Roberts is also a Jersey breeder, and as a member of the' Wairarapa Club, demonstrates the breed at public functions. At the Farmers’ School, Solway, the Department invited him \to lecture and demonstrate on “Dairy farming and the Dairy Cow,” and those who heard him were loud in their praise of his effort. A side-line to his farming oper-, ations is an extensive tomato; business which has has developed! on unique lines. He grows 20,000 to 30,000 plants with horse culture, and markets the crop direct to consumers. He is known as the Tomato King around Carter ton. As far as politics is concerned,

no one ever had any doubts as to where, Jie • stood. "Whenever Labwantedv a champion in a Tory neighbourhood it was Ben Roberts. they called upon He was a member of the United Labour Party in 1913, and was President of the' Labour party, Carterton, some years later. If the Manawatu pick him for a winner they will surely get a ‘‘live wire,” a progressive farmer and a staunch workers’ champion.