PARNELL ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 19

PARNELL ELECTION.

After reading your article summing up the qualifications of the three candfdates for the Parnell election, may I say that I am still of the opinion that Tom Bloodworth, although he lacks anv wholetime studies at a university, old or new, is, for the office sought, the best educated candidate amongst them. He has not that air of command so characteristic of the bucko mate of a windjammer. He has not the Oxford accent, pleasing as it is to a fastidious ear, but I am safe in saying that he has burnt more midnight oil during the last 20 years in a passionate search for economic truth than both the other candidates together. He has sought deliberately,, in spite of discouragements, experiences in public life, and yet in your view his education is not as complete or likely to be as serviceable as either of the other candidates. I am reminded of an incident of the war years. After serving some three years as a commissioned officer in a small way, I received a circular asking for a statement of our- educational qualifications. I could only state- that I had passed the seventh standard in a primary school. It would have availed me little to have written that I had spent some six years of my life in two campaigns, I had travelled leisurely twice round the world, I had studied history, economics and philosophy in every public library in every town 'in which I had resided, and so I was not accounted as well educated as the dullest boy in the lowest form of the lowest rated public school. Had my study of philosophy not resulted in an appreciation of humour I should probably waste myself in advocating the extermination of some educational authorities; life would be sometimes dull without such funny hombres to laugh at. Thouarh genius were my bedfellow I could not attain the heights achieved by the conventionally educated, not in this generation at least. So it is with Tom Bloodworth; though his usefulness may transcend that of a dozen university men. his laijk of the university hall stamp is quoted as a bar, almost a bar sinister. E. MORTOX.

[Our correspondent does not convey accurately what we said. We drew attention to the fact that Mr. Bloodworth's two opponents were university educated, and r said that this type of man was much rarer than it should be in our elections. "It might be retorted," we continued, "that Mr. Bloodworth has more brains and knowledge of affairs than many graduates, but that would be no answer to the contention that men with higher education are badly needed in our politics. Mr. Bloodworth is a strong candidate; if entry into Parliament were decided on personal permit he would have been :sent there long ago."—Ed.].