REMUERA SEAT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 4 August 1941, Page 4

REMUERA SEAT

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ON NEW DEVELOPMENT NATIONAL CANDIDATE Auckland, Aug. 3. “It came as a bombshell to me. The first intimation I got of it was when I read it in the newspaper this morning.” said Mr T. Clifton Webb, chairman of the Remuera electorate committee of the National Party, on Saturday, referring to the announcement from Wellington by the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Holland, that the sitting member, Mr W. P. Endean, would receive his full support and that of the Parliamentary party, thus making him the official candidate for Remuera. Mr Endean had refrained from submitting his name to the selection ballot of the party and was thus automatically excluded from the party nomination. Five other names were received for the ballot for the party's nomination, and Mr Endean subsequently anounced that he would contest the seat as a National Independent candidate. Mr Webb the electorate committee would not come to any hasty decision, and they were anxious to avoid a split if that were at all possible. At the same lime, a very difficult position had been created, and there was a limit, beyond which any self-respecting person could not go. “This is not. a personal matter.” he said, “and we are not going to take any action out of pure pique. We have got to consider the five persons whose names have been anounced. Thev have taken lip a magnanimous attitude. and in fairness to them it should be known that though technically the list of nominations had closed each of them had without hesitation expressed his willingness to allow Mr Endean to come into a postal ballot if he were willing to do so. They were anxious to avoid a split, and went even further by agreeing that if necessary they would collectively invite Mr Endean to include his name. That was to be conveyed to Mr Endean. and I fee! sure it has been done. So far there has been no answer, and the next we hear is Mr Holland’s anouncement.” Mr Webb said the position would be discussed at a meeting of his committee early this week.—P.A.