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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 3 (June 1, 1936)

Elected for Waitemata

Elected for Waitemata.

In the following year there was a by-election for Waitemata, where the eloquent veteran Richard Monk had been unseated for bribery and corruption on the part of his agents. It was the comedy of the hour, that Waitemata election, as revealed when the case was tried. Mr. Monk was a teetotaller to the point of fierce hatred of the publichouse and all it contained, but his agents proceeded to assist his return by holding open house at Kumeu, a lively centre of the gumdigging business. The evidence conclusively showed that free beer flowed for all and sundry, and the convivial diggers voted as one man for “good old Dickey Monk.” He lost his seat, of course; it was hard on a rigid prohibitionist.

When the seat was declared vacant, Massey was called upon to contest it on behalf of the Conservative party.