THE ROTORUA SEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22716, 31 October 1935, Page 8

THE ROTORUA SEAT

, • SOME , INNER^HISTO'RY MR DOIDGE AND THE DEMOCRATS (Per United Press Association) ROTORUA, October 30. During tht> course of an address on Tuesday night in support of Professor H. H. Corbia, the Democrat candidate for the Rotorua seat, Mr J, B. Donald, of Auckland, vice-president of the Democrat Party, alleged that-while still in England and before coming- to New Zealand Mr F. W. Doidge, Independent candidate for the seat, cabled to the executive of the Democrat Party stating that Lord Beaverbrook had seen and approved of the New Zealand Democrat Party's policy, and also approved of Mr Doidge coming to New Zealand to stand as a candidate in the party's interests. He further alleged that when Mr Doidge arrived in the Dominion he demanded a safe.seat and the promise of a portfolio if the party were returned to power. These assertions were given an emphatic denial by Mr Doidge to-night in the course of a speech at Tokoroa. when he challenged Mr Donald to produce any aucfc cablegram or any evidence whatever in support of the allegation. "There is not an atom of truth in any of the assertions," he said. On the contrary, Mr Doidge claimed that when he arrived in New Zealand he was approached by the Democrats tc stand in their interests, but subsequently he was interviewed by the organiser of the party, Mr A; E. Davy, who Indicated the attitude he proposed to take towards Mr VVilliam Goodfellow, who was then concerned prominently with the organisation of the party. As the result of this interview Mr Doidge snid he told Mr Goodfellow and other prominent Auckland business men associated with him in the formation of the party that unless Mr Davy was placed in a position where he would be subject to discipline and control his (Mr Doidge's) interest in the party would cease. Efforts were, he understood, made to define Mr Davy's functions and responsibilities, but 'the results did not satisfy the speaker or, seemingly, in the light of subsequent events, Mr Goodfellow and a number of his colleagues. As a result Mr Doidge dissociated himself from the Democrats and came out as an Independent. Mr Doidge, before his arrival in New Zealand, was a director of the Beaverbrook Press, and acted as organiser of Lord Beaverbrook's Empire freetrade campaign. When the possible candidates for the Rotorua seat were being canvassed his name was mentioned as the Democrat nominee, but subsequently he made it plain that he was not associated with the Democrats and would stand as an Independent. He has been vigorously ad\ocating a policy of Empire Frcetradc in the course of his campaign.