DEMOCRAT PARTY

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1935, Page 3

DEMOCRAT PARTY

SERIOUS BREAK REPORTED.

[PEB' PBEBB ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, August 10. A serious crisis within the ranks of the Democrat Party is said to be threatened as a result of differences of opinion which have arisen concerning the choice of a candidate for the Rotorua seat. Simultaneously with the announcement of the candidature of Mr F. W. Doidgo for Hie seat With the support of Mr-W. Goodfellow (a member of the Auckland executive of the Democrat Party) a stateinent was released that Mr H. H. Corbin, formerly Professor of Forestry at Auckland, was the official nominee of the party for Rotorua. The clash of interests revealed in the two announcements is expected to bring matters to a bead rapidly, and the opinion is strongly held in political circles in Auckland that a break between prominent supporters of tho party and Mr A. E. Davy, the chief executive ofllccr and Dominion organiser, is imminent.

It is expected that the position will be tlie .subject of much debate at the conference of candidates which has been arranged to be held in Wellington on August 21, and in the meantime supporters of the other political organisations are deriving a good deal of amusement from the troubles of the Democrats. .Mr Goodfellow, one of the most influential members of the Democrat Party, was not willing to discuss the position when approached, but stated lie definitely supported Mr Doidgo's candidature for Rotorua. Although he would not discuss tho trouble at Rotorua it was gathered that lie has not' severed his connection with the party.!

When Mr Corbin was approached he s’aid that as far as ho knew he was definitely the party'- - nominee t\»r Rotoina. Tim first request that he should allow himself to be nominated for the seat was made to him early in February by Mr .1, I’arlane, general manager of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company, and lie had since received further requests from j residents in the electorate. Having l finally decided to accept the nomination he was now definitely a candidate. The position has become more complicated as a result of a statement on behalf of the Auckland executive that

> J no committee of the Democrat Party ■ exists in Rotorua, and that no one ’ I there is authorised to speak for thp party. It has been j-evealed, however, that Mr Doidge’s l candidature has 1 been sponsored by supporters of the party -in Rotorua. Mr Doidge, in an interview at Rotorua, said that the announcement regarding Mr Corbin’s candidature did not affect his position one lota. He was not allied to any political party, but shared the views recently expressed by Sir Alexander Herdman and Mr J. D. Caro, of Hamilton. He added that he had an open mind towards the Democrats. DAVY DENIES DISSENSIONS. WELLINGTON, August 10. Mr A. E. Davy, chief executive officer of the Democratic political organisation, has been authorised by the Dominion executive to issue a statement which says, inter alia. “That progress of the party is apparently causing grave concern to its political opponents. The little contretemps at Rotorua is one liable to occur with a party for which many candidates aspire to stand, and the executive has the fullest confidence in the Auckland divisional executive.

“Regarding Mr Goodfellow, his opinions, after all, are entirely his own. What will or will not be done will bo decided by the Democrat organisation. A conference of candidates here on August 21 will discuss political matters. The canard that there is any real dissension is too ridiculous for words. In every party there may be a few people of divergent bpinions, but the problems of the National Socialists and Labour Socialists are greater than those of the Democrat Party.” 1 he executive professes to be amused at the efforts of opponents to damage the party.

ANOTHER DENIAL. HAMILTON, August 10. Interviewed. Mr C. J. Parlane, genera! manager of the New Zealand Coop. Dairy Company, gave an emphatic denial to a statement that in February hist he requested Mr 11. H, Corbin to accept nomination tor the Rotorua seat in the interests of the Democratic Party. He said that .Mr Corbin was< tottilly unknown to him and he could regard the statement as a flight of imagination or the of a partisan political Press. Neither himselt, personally, nor the company, was taking any part in politics.

ANOTHER PARTY? CHRISTCHURCH. August 10. It is suggested hero that, the Democrat Party troubles may be met by the forming of a new party including I Sir A. 1.. 1). Herdman rind Mr Doidge. i li is thought that there may bo • rouble on August 21. when the Do{mociat candidates meet In Wellington. ;Somo of the Executive are not approving <-<-rtatn prospective candidates who i have been jn touch with Mr Davy. I I ' AUCKLAND LABOUR SPLIT. AUCKLAND, August 10. '1 he possibility of .Mr J. Savegh, the official Labour candidal* lor the Auckland Mayoralty al the last inttni- < ipal elections, and a Labour member of several local bodies, standing against a sitting member of the party in Auckland at the coming General Election is being freely discussed in

‘political Mr Sayegh wo.uld , not comment dii the. matter to-day/ but he did not deny th© suggestion that he may be an anti-Laboiir candidate for Parliamentary honours. It is common knowledge that considerbale (dissatisfaction was caused by the lack of recognition to Mr Sayegh by the Labour Party after the campaign for tho Mayoralty ih which lie was narrowly defeated by Air Ernest. i Davis. In the choice of DeputyMayor he was passed over in favour of Mr B. Martin, and, although he topped the poll for the City Council, he was not chosen for thb chairman : ship of any of the council’s committees. He was also elected to tho Auckland Transport Board, but, in

spite of the Labour majority, he was’ not appointed chairman or deputychairman. On several occasions since! then, Mr Sayegh has indicated that he is dissatisfied with the manner in which the party has treated him, and it is gathered that among the rank and filo of the party tlie feeling exists

that, by virtue of his fight for the Mayoralty, lie should have been chosen for some responsible post in municipal affairs. It was stated today that Mr Sayegh might stand for Auckland Central against the Sittiiife Labour member, Mr W. E. Parry. AWARUA MEMBER

INVERCARGILL, August 12. Owing to ill-health, Mr. P. A. De Ln Perrelle, has decided riot to contest Awarua at the coining election. He first entered politics in 1922 arid in 1928, was appointed a member of Sir J. Ward’s Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Internal Affairs and Tourists. When the Forbes Government assumed ofiice, he took the additional portfolio of Industry* and Commerce. At the end of 1931, he, with others, voluntarily relinquished Ministerial rank to permit the Coalition being formed.

OTAKI CANDIDATES WELLINGTON. August 11. The selection of a National Political Federation candidate to' contest tho Ottiki seat was advanced it further stage yesterday, when a meeting of a committee of delegates was held at Phekakariki. One nomination had been received, that of Mr. George Alexander Monk, of Reikorangi, and later in the meeting that of Mr. A. B. Seivwright. of Wellington, was submitted. Mr. W. Appleton, also of Wellington, is to be invited to submit his name to a selection ballbt.