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It was more than a year until the election was due, but Meers immediately set about campaigning on a full-time basis. He bought a large house at Balgowlah, and rented offices in Manly and Harbord. His Manly office was next door to ours in the Corso, in a building owned by Henry Roth, the biggest property owner in the village. The office in Harbord, in an arcade in the shopping centre, was shared with a local solicitor.
The Meers family was pictured on the front page of the Daily, sitting smugly in the Corso Plaza as if they owned it already.
While there were rumours of discontent among the local party rank and file, the conservative establishment fawned over the Tooth Fairy. He was promptly made a member of Manly Rotary and the Rugby Club. The Manly Council welcomed him as an honoured guest at all their functions.
Meers began running advertisements in the Daily before Christmas, giving the impression that he was already representing the electorate and bestowing his greetings to the residents.
His big-spending campaign soon attracted the attention of the metropolitan press. In March the Herald reported that he was spending "$45 000 wooing Manly", which was defended by Meers as necessary to "kepp up with the publicity Stewart gets as the local member".