REMUERA SEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 250, 4 August 1941, Page 2

REMUERA SEAT

EPibOßSEMfiftf OF MR ENDEAN. CHAIRMAN SURPRISED. (P.A.) AUCKLAND, August 2. “It came as a bombshell to me. The first intimation I got of it was when I read it in the newspaper this morriing,” said Mr T. Clifton Webb, chairman of the Remuera Electorate Committee of the National Party on Saturday, when referring to the announcement from Wellington by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S.‘ G. Holland) that the sitting member (Mr W. P. Ehdean) would receive his full support, and that of the Parliamentary Party, thus making him the official candidate for Remuera. . Mr Endean had refrained from submitting his name to a selection ballot of the party, and was thus automatically excluded from the party nomination. Five other names were received for the ballot for the party’s nomination, and Mr Endean subsequently announced that he would contest the seat as a National Independent candidate. Mr Webb said the electorate committee would not come to any* hasty decision, and they were anxious to avoid a split if that were at all possible. At the same time, a very difficult position had been created, ,and there was a limit beyond which any self-respecting person could not got. “This is not a, personal matter,” , he said, “and we are not going tb take any action out of pure pique. We have to consider the five persons whose names have been announced. They have taken up a magnanimous attitude, and in fairness to them it' should be known that although technically the list of nominations had closed, each of them had without hesitation expressed his willingness to allow Mr Endean to come into the postal ballot if he were willing to do so. They were anxious to avoid a split and went even further by agreeing that if necessary they would collectively invite Mr Endean to include his name. That was to bo conveyed to Mr Endean, and 1 feel sure it lias been done. So far there has been no answer and the next we hear is Mr Holland’s announcement.”

Mr Webb said the position would be discussed at a meeting of the coriifhit* tee early this week.