John Mason (26 September 1880 – 9 July 1975) was a New Zealand politician and lawyer. He was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...

in the 1920s.

Biography

Born in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

in 1880, Mason was a lawyer and was for a time in partnership with

Matthew Oram Sir Matthew Henry Oram (2 June 1885 – 22 January 1969) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was the 13th Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1950 to 1957. Early life Oram was born in 1885 at Christchurch. His mo ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Mason enlisted in the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

in January 1916, and served overseas with the New Zealand Medical Corps, rising to the rank of temporary

warrant officer class 1 Warrant may refer to: * Warrant (law), a form of specific authorization ** Arrest warrant, authorizing the arrest and detention of an individual ** Search warrant, a court order issued that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search for eviden ...

. He returned to New Zealand and was discharged in 1919. Mason contested the electorate in the for the Reform Party. Of the four candidates, he came second to

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 ...

Lew McIlvride Lewis McIlvride (26 January 1882 – 9 November 1949) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament and trade unionist. Biography Early life and career McIlvride was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 26 January 1882. He emigrated to Canada and was employed ...

. He won the Napier electorate from McIlvride in the 1925 general election, but was defeated by Labour's

Bill Barnard William Edward Barnard (29 January 1886 – 12 March 1958) was a New Zealand lawyer, politician and parliamentary speaker. He was a member of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament from 1928 New Zealand general election, 1928 until 1943 New Zealand ...

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

. Mason turned to local politics and served as a Napier City Councillor from 1941 to 1947. Mason died in Napier in 1975 and was buried in Wharerangi Cemetery, Napier.

References

1880 births 1975 deaths People from Hastings, New Zealand Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Unsuccessful candidates in the 1928 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1922 New Zealand general election New Zealand military personnel of World War I Burials at Wharerangi Cemetery Napier City Councillors {{NewZealand-politician-stub