REFORM SCHISM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 210, 5 September 1928, Page 8

REFORM SCHISM.

TROUBLE IN ROSKILL. SPLIT IN THE CAMP. 'CONSTERNATION AT CHOICE' CLAIMS OF MR. E. H. POTTER. "The majority of the Reform electors of Roskill are dissatisfied with the way and manner Miss Melville was chosen as the Refoim candidate," said Mr. L. A. Tozer, a prominent supporter of the Reform party in the Roskill electorate this morning in mentioning the fact that there was a great deal of dissension in the electorate, and that further developments could be confidently expected.

Originally there were three Reform candidates for Roskill, the Mayor of Mount Eden (Mr. E. H. Potter) a mem- i ber of the Mount Eden Borough Council i (Mr. R. McK. Morrison), and Mi»s Ellen : Meville, a member of the Auckland City Council. In order to avoid vote-splitting < the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) appointed Mr. V. H. Reed, a former Liberal member for the Bay of Islands, to come to Auckland and arrange a settlement. It was left entirely to Mr. Reed to choose the Roskill Reform candidate and his choice was Miss Melville. There was no ballot, but the candidates, it is understood, agreed to accept Mr. Reed'a decision. It was a decision which caused consternation amongst the Roskill Reformers, who, it is said, felt confident that Mr. E. H. Potter would be chosen. Since then the flame of resentment has been growing. A suggestion has been made that Mr. E. H. Potter should come out as an Independent Reform candidate, and it is stated that 6000 Roskill electors are prepared to sign a petition asking Mr. Potter to allow himself to be nominated. Mr. Tozer said this morning that he and the majority of the electors of Roskill looked upon Mr. Potter as a national man who, if elected would consider the whole of New Zealand and not merely be a sectional representative. "We look upon Miss Melville in an entirely different light," continued Mr. Tozer, "and we feel that in choosing her possibly the Reform party are thinking of -additional votes outside of Roskill which her selection might bring to the party. At the present time a big petition is in circulation addressed to the Prime Minister suggesting that a ballot should be taken throughout the electorate with a view to the people making the choice of a candidate. If this is refused the intention is to call public meetings throughout the electorate to protest against the method of selection adopted by the Reform party, and to take such •tepg as is considered necessary in the best interests of the district. "It must be remembered that Mr. Potter has been the champion for transport in Roskill," added Mr. Tozer. "No Other man has taken such an interest in this great problem. Incidentally I ■light mention that Miss Melville is not •nly a member of the Auckland City Council, but a member of the No. 1 Licensing Committee and has supported tlie action of those bodies in actions which have been detrimental to Roskill. "Feeling is running very high in the district," said Mr. Tozer in conclusion, "and the people have decided to see it through."