James Joseph Maher (1888 – 28 July 1964) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Life and politics

Maher was born in 1888 in Palmerston North. He received his education at a local school until age 12, when his father died and he became a farm worker. He then went

sharemilking Sharemilking, a form of sharefarming, operates in the dairy industry. The application of this model of agriculture occurs particularly commonly in New Zealand. The most common arrangement is ''herd-owning sharemilking'' or ''50:50 sharemilking''. ...

, and leased a farm at Mangaroa, which he later purchased. He was the inaugural president of the Town Milk Supplies Board from 1943, chaired the Wellington Dairy Farmers Co-op Association, was a member of the Hutt Valley Council, a member of the Hutt Valley Power Board, and was a treasurer of Federated Farmers in 1948. In the , Maher contested the electorate, but was beaten by the incumbent,

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

's Ben Roberts. At the next general election in , he successfully contested the Otaki electorate, where the incumbent, Labour's

Leonard Lowry Leonard George Lowry (1884 – 21 November 1947) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Early life and career He was born in London in 1884. He entered the Civil Service but resigned so that he could travel abroad, settli ...

, retired that year. Maher represented the electorate until he retired in 1960.

Allan McCready Allan McCready (1 September 1916 – 8 August 2003) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography McCready was born in Kawakawa in 1916, the son of Alexander McCready. He received his education at Kawakawa District H ...

his son-in-law succeeded to the Otaki seat. In the 1962 Queen's Birthday Honours, Maher was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to the community. He died on 28 July 1964.

Notes

References

* * 1888 births 1964 deaths New Zealand National Party MPs New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives 20th-century New Zealand farmers People from Upper Hutt Unsuccessful candidates in the 1943 New Zealand general election New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire {{NZNational-politician-stub