He established himself as a farmer and merchant at Zurich.
In 1900, Merner married Clara Edith Graham.
In the 1911 federal election, he campaigned against reciprocity in trade with the United States, arguing that the local trade in horses and salt would suffer.
From 1917 to 1921, Merner was a Unionist Party member.
Merner ran unsuccessfully for reelection to the House of Commons in 1921 and 1925.