In August 1905, Dash announced his intent to contest the Waitaki electorate at the 1905 general election.[3] He was unsuccessful, coming second to the incumbent William Steward.[4]
In 1916, Dash was elected to the Waimate Borough Council.[5] The next year he was elected mayor, defeating fellow councillor William Russell.[6] During his first term as mayor he often clashed with his council, particularly councillor Robert Inkster,[7] leading to eight councillors resigning in protest in March 1918 and forcing a by-election.[8] Five of the eight protesting councillors were re-elected, while Inkster was among those who were not.[9][10] Among those who were re-elected was councillor William Evans, who went on to defeat Dash in the 1919 mayoral election.[11]
Dash returned in 1925 and was elected mayor unopposed.[12] He defeated former mayor Evans in the 1927 mayoral election.[13] He was re-elected unopposed in 1929, and his Progressive Party ticket swept the entire council.[14] At the 1931 election he defeated councillor Forbes Wallace,[15] a former ally of his.[16] He was again re-elected unopposed in 1933[17] and 1935.[18] He planned to retire in 1938, but decided to run for re-election at the request of residents[19] and was again re-elected unopposed.[20] Citing World War II as his reason,[21] he ran for re-election in 1941 but was defeated by William Boland.[22] A function was held to pay tribute to Dash's years of service, including speakers such as William Paul, John Bitchener, and David Campbell Kidd.[23]
Dash was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire at the 1951 New Year Honours for services to local government.[24] He had a private investiture in Timaru due to poor health.[25]
