ROSRILL SEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 283, 30 November 1931, Page 8

ROSRILL SEAT.

MORE CONTROVERSY.

MR. HOLDSWORTH'S POSITION

UNITED PARTY STATEMENT

REPLY BY CANDIDATE

The eligibility of Mr. W. J. Holds - worth, Independent candidate to contest the Roskill seat, was to-day made the subject of further controversy.

The Auckland executive of the United party declare that, according to unimpeachable legal authority, Jlr. Holdsworth's nomination ie invalid, and that electors voting for him will be disfranchised. Mr. Holdsworth brands the statement as "political propaganda," and claims that high legal opinion obtained by him shows his conclusive right to contest the seat. » The secretary of the Auckland executive of the United party, in a statement to the "Star," said: — "Though it. was not at the instance of the United executive that some elector raised the question with the returning officer as to whether Mr. Holdsworth is disqualified for nomination, the executive fejels that it is a matter of great public importance. It is useless for Mr. Holdsworth or his supporters to suggest that this is a deep-laid scheme of his opponents and that Mr. Holdsworth is in any way entitled to sympathy support because his eligibility to stand has been challenged. If this candidate is ineligible he has only himself to blame. No one else could make him ineligible. Now, an unimpeachable and very high legal authority has declared that Mr. Holdsworth's nomination was invalid because of his membership of the Loans Board, and that no subsequent resignation of that position can make the nomination valid, nor does its acceptance by the returning officer in the absence of full information. If. therefore, Mr. Holdsworth is ineligible to be elected, and yet goes to the poll, all those who vote for him wil be disfranchised. They will bv virtually throwing away their vote on a non-starter. Instead of denouncing those who have drawn attention to this important matter, Mr. Holdsworth and his supporters would have been better advised if they had attempted to give proof to the public that be is eligible. We have legal authority stating that Mr. Holdsworth is ineligible for election. If that stands, the electors should be informed. Otherwise votes will be thrown away, and the effect will be to greatly enhance the chances of the Labour candidate. -

'"The point was raised at this juncture because, in the event of Mr. Hol.lsworth's defeat, it would be impossible to raise the issue."