A CANDIDATE FOR PARNELL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1243, 27 September 1911, Page 6

A CANDIDATE FOR PARNELL.

SIR JOHN FINDLAY'S CHOICE. AND WHY? A FEW AWKWARD QUESTIONS. (By Telczraini.-I'ross Association.) Auckland, September 2G. A large and representative deputation ■of electors at Parnell waited upon Sir John Fiudlay (Minister for Justice and Attorney-General) this afternoon, and asked him to accept nomination for the Parnell seat. In giving a favourable reply, Sir John I'indlay said:

"My acceptance of nomination for Parnell will involve ray resignation from the Legislative Council, and il beaten, my retirement from the Cabinet and public life. 1 have been told by many men in the Lower House that if they had a fate seat in the Ministry and in the Upper House, as I have, they would not imperil these advantages by appealing to a general election, but in tnis step the last thing I want to do is to vaunt any spirit of on her courage or sacrifice. It I win 1 shall have. I'ne wider field of action, and 1 hope of usefulness, I so much desire. If I fail 1 shall return to private life with its many attractions and to an honourable profession.. There i≤ nothing disturbing in this latter prospect , . My ready consent to stand tor an Auckland seat is duo to several reasons, i'irst, 1 like, and have always liked Auckland. I have a large circle of personal friends here. 1 have many memories of the kindness of its people, especially when 1 have had the privilege of addressing them. The invitation I have received, not. only from this deputation, but from very many in tho electorate, representing not only every section of the community, but entirely different views on political questions, induces mo to believe that 1 can win the l'nrnell seat, both on party and, if necessary, personal grounds. Auckland, too, is now much the largest city in the Dominion. I would therefore feel it a special distinction to represent an Auckland constituency. Moreover, l'arnell has in tho past proved itself to bo to its member one of the most loyal and steadfast of seats. I have been asked why 1 did not stand for a Wellington seat. Probably I should have been even saier of election there if I had. I have run an election once, and once only in my life, and that was for Wellington nine years ago. I landed here in Auckland in November of 1902 after an absence of nine months in England without the least intention, in the world of entering public life. When I reached Wellington I was persuaded by Mr. Seddon and somo influential friends to take the fieid— hastily, it must be admitted, as the elections were then only a few days off—l think fourteen. There was no time for any organisation; I did no canvassing; I had to rely in the fortnight available upon four or five, platform adVlresses. And yet, against such political veterans as Mr. John Duthie, Mr. Aitken, and Mr. George Fisher, who were elected, I polled nearly 5000 votes. Such a rejection can scarcely be called a bad defeat. It is certainly strong evidence that I could win,, if. I wanted it, a Wellington seat; but two independent reasons have decided my choice. First, I prefer to represent Auckland; secondly, even if I had preferred Wellington I could not, under existing circumstances, have honourably contested a Wellington seat, for, first, ,n Minister has no right to contest a seat held by a man who has supported his Government, and thus helped to keep him in office; secondly, ho has no right to oppose for any scat a man already definitely chosen by the Government as its candidate for that seat."

Sir John Findlay then went on" to «ay that when he. left New Zealand last March for the Imperial Conference he had no intention of seeking election to tho House, of Representatives. His disposition at that time was, for professional reasons, to retire at the end of this year from political life. It was not until a sihort time before they reached New Zealand that it was arranged between tho leader of their party and himself that ho should contest a seat at the general elections. By that time'all the Wellington candidates for seats held by those on the Opposition side had been chosen. Ho was, therefore, asked to nm for a seat elsewhere, preferably a northern one, and for these reasons lie had declined the very strongest encouragement for a Wellington electorate. If these reasons had compelled him to come to Auckland he found the compulsion a very pleasant one, and if elected ho would have tho satisfaction of knowing that he represented one of the , best constituencies in New Zealand. Moreover, Parnell had been a Government seat for over twenty-one years, and as no one else had any vested or expectant right to it tho Government felt that it was entitled to run a member of the Cabinet for Parnell. It might be said that he was not a resident; but if his supporters desired it, .he was ready to at once transfer his home to Parnell, and be a. resident, not in any nominal or technical sense, but really, and in every sense, a member of tho community. He had to thank them, therefore, for their very cordial invitation to be their candidate, and to express his willingness to contest tho Parnell seat. He knew, as Mr. Lundon had remarked, that lie had the fight of his life before him, but he- was going to see it through. There was only six or seven weeks in which to carry on tho campaign. He would return to Auckland in ten or twelve days and. deliver his first speech at an early date. After that he would speak as often as possible, and hoped that his supporters would enter into the spirit of the contest as whole-hearted-ly as ho intended to do. TEN QUESTIONS. WHAT MY LADY PAKNELL WANTS '■ TO KNOW. (By Tclecraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland,' September 26. The subject of Sir John Tindlay's choice of Parnell as an easy seat to win is causing considerable interest in Auckland, for Parnell. for a very long time has only been a Government seat because of the personal popularity of Mr. 1\ Lawry, M.P., and even he has only won it by narrow majorities, while the alteration of boundaries makes , it less of a Government supporter's feat than over. The idea of tho now knight standing for an Auckland seat is regarded as a joke in some quarters. Already the newspapers are receiving letters on tho subject, and a typical one, signed "Amor," was published this morning. The writer says: "I notice that a deputation is to wait upon Sir John Findlay to ask him to contest thn Parncll constituency in the interests of the Government. This is probably a joke, but if it is, those responsible for' the joke may iind that Sir John is quite capable of swallowing it. Xo doubt ho honestly believes that hn has justly earned a knighthood for Uis services to this Dominion, and if he believes that he will probably believe the persuasive arguments to bo put , before him as tho man to iroo and win my Lady ParneJl; but very properly before the lady is caught sho will make a few inquiries as to why Sir John should suddenly come all tho way from Wellington, and with ardour born of now-found honours seek to tako her captive in his train to t'he Empire City. And firstly she wants to know why Sir John is not elected where ho is best known? Secondly, why he has never been elected to the House by any constituency especially as lift has tried so hard? Thirrllv, what, has ho done to deservo knighthood. Fourthly, what has lie done, for Auckland? Fifthly, why has he. as Minister for Justice, delayed the. erection of the Auckland Courthouse until (ho elections are about lo take place? Sixthly, why does he, as Minister for Justice, I allow tho local Judge to reside in Wellington and to spend about; n third of his limo in Auckland? Seventhly, whv does he encourme some of tho Judges (o add so largely t'n their salaries. by travelling and other allowances? TCHithly. whv hi* Government should introduce hereditary titles intn this democratic country'? Kinthlv. what did that little trip to, niirl especially the return trin from, the Old Coiint.ry cost the people of this Dominion? And lastlv, she wants bo know what' =nrt of a result can bo expected if she yields hf>r*plf captive tn the blandishments of the knight nf Wrflimrton, for Sir' John i> on authority f-ii eugenics, and he ought t> know."