EDEN CANDIDATES

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 March 1926, Page 3

EDEN CANDIDATES

ALLEGED UNFAIRNESS. (Per Press Association.} AUCKLAND, March 4. The seven unsuccessful nominees for re-election as the Reform candidate for Eden express themselves as exceedingly dissatisfied over the methods that were followed at the selection meeting. They state that they were kept under lock and key in a room, and they were only allowed out in turn to address the meeting. What particularly annoys them is the fact that Sir Janies Gunson/ the successful candidate, did not have any similar restrictions imposed upon him. The following telegram has been dispatched to the Prime Minister: “Eden by-election. Protest by Reform candidates. We, the undersigned candidates, who submitted our names for the ballot in connection with the selection of a candidate in the Reform interests in the above by-election, desire to reaffirm the protest that had already been entered by us before the ballot was taken by the delegates at Mount Albert on March 1. There were serious irregularities in connection with the proceedings, and we therefore decline to hold ourselves bound to our pledges. While there were a number of irregularities, our chief criticism is that, while we were all kept strictly tinder lock and key, as prisoners, and were conducted, one by one, under strict control, to the audience chamber, and were not allowed to hear each other’s speeches, Sir Janies Gunson was given preferential treatment, in that he was allowed his liberty, and was in a position to hear the speeches of other candidates. The organiser was in private communication with Sir James Gunson throughout the evening. We ask the Reform Party to stand by the pledges given to us on their behalf that we would be given fair play if we put ourselves in the hands of our party. (Signed) —Ellen NLelville, S. Oldfield, W. J. Tait, T. J. Fleming, L. E. Rhodes, B. Bunn, David B. Russell.” The Reform Party organiser, Mr Davy, says the malcontents’ protest is “ridiculous in the extreme.” He says: “Their charges have no foundation in fact. The candidates could have gone into the street and joined Sir Janies Gunson, as the door leading to the street was open. The reason for locking the other door was to keep the public out,' not the candidates. Mr T. J? Fleming, one of the rejected aspirants, has dissociated himself from the public protest made by the others. He pledges his support to Sir James Gunson.

Sir James Gunson, when questioned regarding the complaint of the rejected Reform aspirants for the Eden seat, declined to make any statement. He said he was not responsible for any grievance that the malcontents might haveHe had carried out all that had devolved upon him, and he had appeared before the delegates. Miss Ellen Melville has definitely announced herself as an Independent candidate for Eden. Miss Melville was next to Sir James Gunson in the order of selection at the delegates’ meeting.