PARKINSON CASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 5

PARKINSON CASE.

—» AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY. ATTEMPT TO SECURE TITLE. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, July 31. Mr. Justice Lush, in delivering judgment in the Parkinson titlei case, 1 held that the contract to obtain a title in return for a contribution to charity was against public policy, and therefore unlawful, but he decided to deprive Harrison of his costs on the ground that he increased them by denying fraud and because he failed to enter the witness-box and meet the allegations.

Lieut.-Colonel George Parkinson, director of a. firm of building contractors at Blackpool, unfolded a remarkable story before Mr. Justice Lush early last mouth. He gave evidence that he was introduced in 1921 to Ernest Harrison, managing secretary of the College of Ambulance, which instructs the public in ambulance' work. Harrison said the college, through the president, the late Princess Christian, had a. call on certain Royal honours, also political honours. He was then arranging for a peerage for £IOO,OOO and a baronetcy for £25,000. He said he could get any honours, provided the applicants paid the price. He offered to procure Parkinson a knighthood for £20,000, and suggested £IO,OOO down and the balance in instalments extending over five years. Parkinson, alter consulting his solicitor, paid £3OOO and agreed to build the college a new lecture hall, also to give the college a further £SOOO. He received a letter from Princess Chris, tiau expressing her sincere graitude for the .splendid gift. Harrison, after failing to get the Conservative whip to take up the matter, called in the aid <d Mrs. Robins, who gave Parkinson a letter of introduction to an official in the central Conservative offices. The official asked Parkinson what he could do for him, and Parkinson said : “The truth is .1 have come here to net a knighthood.” After hearing the full story, the official said: “I am afraid you have been fooled.”