REFORM CANDIDATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 12

REFORM CANDIDATES.

Sir. —It is surprising iliafc llio lion. A. T). McLeocl should declare that all llio present" members of Parliament pledged to Reform will carry the party's banner at the general elections. Where does the voice of the Reform league's branch-as come in '! According to the constitution of the New Zealand Political Reform League, all candidates shall submit their names to a meeting of delegates in each electorate for a choice to bo made, the successful candidato to be endorsed as (lie official candidate. So far there has been no meeting called for that particular purpose in the new electorate, Eden, and as Mr. V. H. Potter is not llio sitting member, ho must submit his name (o .1 selection committee. Again, in Roskill, there are two candidates already in the field, Miss' Melville and Mr. E. If. Potter. According to a report recently published in the Herald, a deputation of women waited on Miss Melville to ask her to accept nomination, and from the names published, few, if any, belong lo the electorate. Will Miss Melville, when the official choice is made, abide by the decision of the majority, or lias she decided to stand against' allcomers and bring about the same disaster as the Eden by-election? We know Mr. E. H. Potter will honour his pledge and abide by the committee's verdict. We must,recognise I lie fact that: there are many members of the Reform Party who have outdone their day of usefulness, but the electorates have their hands tied in the matter. At the last conference in Wellington a remit was brought forward that all names should he submitted, whether member or not, but the Prime Minister refused to accept the motion, as ho considered that, as head of the party, the final choice was in his hands. So lie is able to veto the choice of any electorate. We can expect strange developments iu the next' few months. Reformer,