AUCKLAND LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 67, 20 March 1900, Page 2

AUCKLAND LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

IMR J. .1. HOLLAND SELECTED FOE TIIE CITY VACANCY. ! A special meeting of the members of ! the Auckland Liberal Association was i held last evening in the Wesley Hall jat which there was a good attendance. ; Mt* Solon.an Reed, secretary, said it 'would be requisite to nominate a ' chairman, as Mr S. I. Clavke. had for- ' warded his resignation. i **> _} • ! Dr. .McArthur was voted to the chair I for that meeting. He referred to the. ! good work done by the late chairman. He moved that tlie Auckland Liberal j Association desires herewith to record I its sincere appreciation of the lare ' chairman (Mr S. T. Clarke), and expresses reg-ret at his retirenix',nt. i This war, seconded by Mr Dixon, jMr Jordan thought Mr Clarke should '. he urged to reconsider his decision. , lie moved as an amendment "'i'hnt this i Association has heard with surprise ; and regret of the resignation of the chairman, and urges him to reconsider ■ his decision." Mr F. King seconded the amenrlI ment. Mr Clarke said he would rather the ! amendment was not put, as he had de- : cided to retire from the position. If they wished he would give his reasons why he had resolved to retire. j Air Beehan referred to the excellent I manner in which Mr Clarke had perj formed his duty as chairman of the ; Association. Mr Jordan asked that Mr Clarke 'give his reasons for retiring. Mr Clarke said his reasons for retiring ..wore that he had felt for some time past that this Association was not going nearly enough on federal lines for the formation of a compact and true liberal party. Notwithstand- : ing strenuous efforts there seemed to jbe no chance of making the Association a federal affair in which all branches of the Liberal Party was represented. He could hardly consider the Association a truly representative Liberal Association in the sense of voicing , the opinion of all branches of labour. .He felt that particularly with reference to an attempt made to work with the Trade and Labour Council for instance: They had a deputation at their meeting with the object of trying to take common cause before the . election, but lhe affair fell through, and to his mind it, was not given anything like a reasonable chance of doing anything else but fail. As he had no cause to trim or lie trimmed he felt it would he better to resign and let the grip be filled hy someone olkc It was true there was also another matter, .but that occurred after he made up his mind lo resign. Still he would mention it. It as as with reference to the presentation io the Hon. Mr Ward. .That, presentation was made, he was Mcd (o believe, by newspaper reports, on behalf and in the name of the Libjeral Party of Auckland. He was not going to deny the right of private persons if they choose, to do so making a 'presentation to a Minister, but at the ,; same time this went out as though it .was presented by the Liberals of Auckland' and some members of the Association took part in that presentation. , There was no other Liberal Associa- , tion in Auckland; and as this -was the ' only recognised Liberal organization in the' city it seemed clear (o him that j such a, thing should not have been done without any knowledge of the affair by the executive of the Association. His first knowledge of it was reading the account of the presentation as reported in the "Star." He did not' think that was the right position in which to place the Association, It was not a matter of dig*nity with him, but a question of the courtesy duo by-members' to the executive of '• the Association. (Applause.) He had no wish to create any bad feeling, but ' thought it just as well to mention that fact •j Mr W. Beehan said the presentation ' was not made by the Association, but ■by a few personal friends of the Hon, Mr Ward in commemoration of his re- : |turn to the Ministry. It had nothing i'to do wiih the Association. In fact , ! the Association or Mr Clarke had not got up any presentation to anybody, ;It was still open to them to do so. Dr, , .McArthur could testify that it was not , given as from the Association. The - real truth of the whole affair was no( , the presentation at all, but that the Associaion would not take up Mr Ros- , ser as a candidate when it w*as quite ] clear there was no chance for him with two labour candidates in the field. Mr Clarke went to that meeting in St James' Hall, but he (Mr Beehan) refused to allow the Association to be , dragged in the mud that way. M: , Holland was really defeated because of the action taken at that meeting These, gentlemen were asked by this . Association to be loyal and withdraw . from candidature but refused. He con- . sidered Mr Holland was beaten by s I combination of Liberals who woul, not give way in this matter. The Lab- ' our party refused to be led or divided -so they did not get a Labour man in !He could also tell them that both Mt ' Clarke and Mr Reed were invited tc 1 attend when Mr Ward received the - presentation. - The Chairman said that Mr Beehan ' had suggested to him the advisability lof making Mr Ward a presentation ■ from a few friends of the Liberal : partj*. The thing was at once gone lon with, but it was not given as from • the Liberal Association. Tlie whole s thing was done on the spur of the moi ment. Mr S. Reid said he was also very , grieved that this thing had taken . place. He did not believe there was any intention to throw a slight upon ! him,,but he must say be did not get : the letter until after the presentaiou. As the Premier was not going away until the Monday, his (Mr Reid's) idea was to get up a banquet, and he was asking guinea subscriptions. He asked one gentleman in Queen-st., who said he had just given a guinea to Mr Beehan. Just then Mr Beehan came across the road, and upon being asked about it, replied that he was not collecting for the banquet at all. Mr Beehan did not tell him then what he was collecting for, but the. next day he got the invitation after the presentation was over. As the amendment was withdrawn the motion was adopted, accepting Mr Clarke . resignation with regret. SELECTING A CANDIDATE. The next business was to consider the special business* namely the selection of a candidate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr W. Crowther. Mr Beehan moved that the decision arrived at last November selecting Mr J. J. Holland as a Liberal candidate be confirmed, and that he be selected as the Liberal candidate ot ;- the forthcoming bye-election. Mr Beehan said in order to prevent a lot

!of liberal candidates coming out it j was well to at once nominate Mr j Holland. By showing a bold front I they would prevent others from coming out. I Mr Dixon seconded tbe resolution. ■ .Mr P. Cheal-said the Association should not discuss the matter. It ■ should not stultify itself by even thinking of making another choice. j The first- person " the Association should run must be Mr Holland. !Personallv he thought Mr AVitheford ! would have made a good member, hut ns a matter of honour they must support Mr Holland. Dr. McArthur agreed with Mr 1 Cheal. He said he had not been without hope of himself running at a Bye- . election, but _.ill felt that Mr Holland had the first claim. The motion . was carried unanimously. I It, was resolved to telegraph the j decision of the Association to the I Government. 1 Mr Beehan gave notice that at next I meeting ho would nominate Dr. Mc- _ Arthur as chairman of tbe. Associai tion. In accordance with the decision 1 arrived at by the Liberal Association, I the -secretary, Mr S. Reid, forwarded ; tlie following telegram to the i; Hon. the Premier, Wellington:—"At j a large meeting of Auckland Liberal I Association tonight Mr Holland was ! unanimously selected as the Liberal i candidate to contest the bye-election.", } To-day Mr W. Beehan received the | following reply: "Government will with great pleasure, acquiesce in Mr | Holland being the Liberal candidate j for the Auckland bye-election, Signed, iT? T ..or.rim. "