Mr. John Staines , who was a member of the Westland County Council for many years, was born at Rutherglen in 1863, and arrived at Kanieri with his parents when quite young. He has grown up with the place, and has witnessed its golden prosperity and subsequent decline. At the time Mr. Staines joined the Council the revenue of the county was about £14,000 a year, but now it is less than a third of that amount. He was a hardworking member, and was always ready to forward the interests of the district he represented. Mr. Staines has been a member of the Westland Education Board since the year 1892. He is one of the school commissioners of Westland, a member of the Charitable Aid Board, president of the Mining Association, and vice-president of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He is also an attached member of the Masonic Order. Mr. Staines took an energetic part in promoting the erection of the butter factory at Kokatahi. He married a daughter of Mr. W. Stevenson, and has three sons and three daughters.