He was born in
Glasgow to mason Archibald Howie and Janet Ferguson. His family migrated to
New South Wales in 1881, and Howie became a building contractor, eventually taking over his father's business. In 1912 he married Emily Clara Manuelle, with whom he had a son. In 1927 he was elected for a single term as President of the Master Builders Association of New South Wales. ==Political career==