THOSE CHARGES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18507, 8 October 1925, Page 8

THOSE CHARGES.

CORRIGAN INCIDENT. PROMISE NOT KEPT. JAMES PARR TELLS A STORY. (riIESS ASSOCIATION TXLEGS-Ui.) t AUCKLAND. October 7. Reference to the ''Corrigan incident," particularly a speech hy Mr JH. Corrigan, M.P., at a meeting in tho Patea electorate on Monday evening, was made to-day by Sir James Parr. •Sir James baid:— "When Mr Corrigan was bowled out, the other day by myself in a deliberate attempt to circulate throughout his electorate charges against me which ho had previously unreservedly withdrawn, ho rose in his place in tho House and said he was very sorry for what ho had done, and he undertook to explain on overy platform that he had withdrawn the charges against me. Ho said, further, that ho would do his best as a man to clear the matter up but instead of carrying out his promise to the Houso and to myself and putting the matter right, Mr Corrigan has been guilty of another palpable dodge and evasion which have much aggravated the matter. He asks the electors of Patea to believe that because I defended my own honour against his serious charge, this merely what he terms 'electioneering "Mr Corrigan, with his strange mentality, seems incapable of recognising the fact that a public man who has borne a good reputation through 25 years of public life strongly Tesents a baseless charge of personal dishonesty and corruption. Appointment of Justices. j "Bat this is not all. Tho member for Patea, having been exposed in, tho most contemptible of electioneering tactics, namely, the 'blackening of a Minister's character, attempts to shift his ground. He says that the Minister of Justice should answer a charge that tho Minister appointed only five Justices of the Peace in the Patea district. Here again Mr Corrigan misleads his electors. I explained the position fully in the House, and he knows it. "The facts are that Mr Corrigan attempted to abuse his privilege of nominating gentlemen for the office of Justice of the Peace. The usual practice is to appoint not more than four or five gentlemen for each electoral district when the commission is issued every year. Mr Corrigan , had the temerity to ask me to appoint seventeen men in his constituency in one wholesale lot. Such a request has never before been made to a Minister of Justice by any member of Parliament. I declined to consent to 'stuff' the roll of Justices in this manner, henco Mr Corrigan's displeasure. It was my duty to cut the number down. The Under-Secretary for Justice advised me that although the men were ail of good character, only four or five appointments were really necessary, 'and that number were appointed. I do not know their politics even now. If, those appointed are Eeformers, Mr Corrigan is responsible, as he nominated them and gave them first place in tho list. "For instance, at Hawera, threegentlemen were nominated when only one was required. 4 The Department recommended, and I appointed the gentleman who vijas at the head of Mr Corri-, gan's own list, but this matter is merely a herring drawn across the scent. Mr Corrigan is evidently in serious difficulties with his electors because of his false , charges against a Minister of land speculation, and he is clutching at any straw to extricate himself."