Sir William John Polson was a New Zealand politician, first as an Independent and then in the National Party.
17 Facts About William Polson
1.
2.
William Polson joined the National Party on its formation in 1936, and "later acted effectively as Holland's deputy".
3.
William Polson was Wellington provincial president of New Zealand Farmers' Union from 1920 to 1921 and became dominion president from 1921 to 1936.
4.
William Polson clashed with the Reform government over meat marketing in 1919, monopolistic marketing trusts in the face of a produce price slump in 1921.
5.
William Polson initiated the Meat Export Control Act in 1922 to help local farmers' profits.
6.
William Polson had married Florence Ada Mary Lamb Wilson in 1910 with whom he had four children.
7.
William Polson was a member of the Wanganui County Council from 1911 to 1917 and for three years he was the council's chairman.
8.
William Polson was a member of the Wanganui Harbour Board.
9.
William Polson represented the electorate of Stratford in Parliament from 1928 to 1946.
10.
William Polson retired from Parliament in 1946, when the seat of Stratford was eliminated by electoral boundary changes.
11.
William Polson made a point of declining the United Party nomination, believing it more befitting that the leader of the Farmers' Union be non-partisan.
12.
In 1936, following the election of the First Labour Government, William Polson resigned as Farmers' Union president and joined the new National Party.
13.
William Polson played a key role in replacing Adam Hamilton as National Party leader with Sidney Holland.
14.
On 30 June 1942 William Polson became minister of primary production for war purposes in Peter Fraser's short-lived War Administration until 2 October when he resigned.
15.
William Polson was appointed to the Legislative Council on 15 March 1950, as a member of the suicide squad which was to vote the Council out of existence.
16.
William Polson died at his home in Mangamahu on 8 October 1960, survived by his second wife and two sons and a daughter from his first marriage.
17.
In 1935, William Polson was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.