UNITED DISUNION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 25, 30 January 1930, Page 7

UNITED DISUNION

THE AUCKLAND EXECU-

TIVE

SUPPORT FOR MR. DAVY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

' AUCKLAND, Thia Day. According to reports, the Auckland executive of the United Political Organisation is not altogether a happy family, dissension having occurred as the result of the attack made upon tho Prime Minister and the members of the Cabinet by the former Dominion Chairman, Mr. A. E. Davy. A member of the Auckland executive, Mr. VT. 3. M'Millan, made the following statement last night:—

"There is still strong feeling among members of the party that Mr. Davy's charges have not been answered by Cabinet. Tho fact that he has lost his job does not answer them." Mr M'Millan. said he had been obliged "to make public some facts owing to the publication of a remit received by tho Dominion executive from AucKland on Friday night after an assurance had been given by the chairman of the Auckland executive, Mr. J. Trevithick, that the resolution would not bo published. "It was passed," said Mr. M'Millan, "not by a meeting of the executive, but by a meeting of the Finance and Emergency Committee at noon last Thursday, and read: 'The Auckland executive of the United Political Organisation enters . their strong protest on the conduct of Mr. Davy in his attack made on the president of the party, Sir Joseph Ward, and his criticism of the Government's honest efforts to fulfil their election pledges and carrying out of the declared policy of the United Party, and strongly urges the Dominion Executive to at once terminate his position as chairman of the party's organisation.' "The resolution, said Mr. MTtillan, "was passed by fire votes to three, and only eight out of 14 members of the Finance and Emergency Committee attended. A further resolution was passed asking for an immediate conference of New Zealand delegates to elect a new Dominion Executive. ;. NOT A DICTATOR. "It has been stated," remarked Mr. M'Millan, "that Mr. Davy was attempting to dictate to members, but on one occasion that I know of his line of conduct was exactly the opposite. During the last session Mr. J. S. Fletcher, M.P., took a strong stand on the unemployment question. On. going to the looms of the Auckland branch next day, I was surprised to be told by the then organiser, Mr. E. Glover Clark, that the chairman was calling a special meeting' to pass a motion of censure on Mr. Fletcher for his action on behalf of the unemployed, giving as his reason that tho party's position in Grey Lynn would be endangered. This was proved fallacious by the resolution passed by the Grey Lynn executive expressing complete confidence in Mr. Fletcher and the meeting was only stopped by Mr. Davy, who stated that no member should be interfered with by the organisation when attempting to carry out the party's promises. In his capacity as Dominion chairman he would not allow the meeting to be called. At a later date, only two months ago, when Mr. Davy's actions were being questioned by a section of the Dominion Executive and Cabinet, the Auckland Emergency and Finance Committee unanimously passed resolutions expressing dissatisfaction with that section's action, and a further resolution of absolute confidence in Mr. Davy as Dominion chairman was passed. THE COUNTRY'S WELFARE. "I do not -wish to support _ Mr. Davy's action, .or oppose it," said Mr. M'Millan, "but in any transaction I have had with him, whether for or against, it has seemed to me that his first thought was the country's welfare and that he was only driven to take public action when he found this was endangered." Mr. M'Millan said that the Auckland executive had not met for several months and then only to elect officers. The Finance and Emergency Committee of fourteen was appointed in June, but since then two members had resigned—Mr. J. C. Lovegrove, vicepresident, who left because be was dissatisfied with the party's work, and Mr. Glover Clark, the -organiser. A third member had repudiated any furtVr financial responsibility.