THE HON. A. M. MYERS

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 20

THE HON. A. M. MYERS

SUGGESTIONS AS TO HIS RETIREMENT. PARTICULARS REGARDING HIS ANTECEDENTS. MR MYERS'S REPLY. (Feoii Ouk Own Corbespondent.) AUCKLAND, February 20. Some correspondence that has passed be* tween Mr Robert Sloan, an Aucklander, and the Hon. Arthur M. Myers (in reference to a petition to the Governor-General now in circulation) has been handed to the press. The petition, which was promoted as the result of a recent meeting of Auckland women, prays for tho removal of " all German blood" from Government offices. Mr Sloan, in a letter to Mr Myers, said that ho had no reason to doubt the latter's loyalty, but suggested that "it might be for the country's good at the present junc-. ture, as well as for your own good name, that you resigned - your offices in the Government." Mr Sloan cited as a precedent the resignation of Prince Louis of Battenberg, the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, early in tho war. Mr Myers replied to Mr Sloan in a lengthy letter. Ho said that in comparing the Battenberg case with his Mr Sloan had entirely overlooked tho fact that " tho •prince is very largely German in blood (although eo loyally British in sentiment and character), whilst I am a natural-born British subject, having been born under the British flag, and that I have not a single relative outside the British Empire." Mr Myers refers to the fact that his two brothers, who were resident in England when war broke out, enlisted, and have since been " doing their bit" for the Empire. Mr Myers proceeds: "As regards my mother, I have never heard of any relatives of hers existing in Germany. She was herself born in Germany, but (with her two sisters and two brothers,, being orphans) emigrated to Australia nearly 70 years ago to join other' relatives already there. Ten years afterwards they took "sr? their residence in New Zealand, and, as early pioneers, went through all the vicissitudes of pioneer life, possessing all the qualities of vigorous citizenship. . . . My father's family have resided in England for over 200 years, but my 'grandfather went to Russian Poland as a rabbi, where mv f ather was born. He, however, returned to England whilst still a child, and there he was brought up and educated. He was a naturalised British subject -before he married my mother, and emigrated to Australia about 1859. My wife is a daughter of the late Mr B. W.' Levy, of London, who was granted the freedom of Liverpool, Manchester, and : Salford in recognition oi his generous gifts and services to these cities." Mr Myers refers to the public offices that he has held, including the mayoralty of Auckland for four years, and the fact that he has been returned to Parliament three times, as well as being member of two Ministries. With regard to his_ present position, he says: "I had no desire personally to become a member of the National Government, but having been requested to do so by my leader I accepted the duties in connection with the portfolio of Customs, Munitions and Supplies, etc., and have done my best to further my country s interests to the best of my ability. After two and a-half years of conscientious work as a Minister in the present Government, during which time (by placing my business experience at the disposal of my departments) I have been able to save the taxpayers of this country some hundreds of thousands of pounds, and also to place the Working of my departments on' a basis of thorough efficiency and smoothness; and also, having regard to the fact that (if I may not be thought egotistical in saying so) the great bulk of my fellow citizens throughout the dominion have expressed themselves as satisfied with my work as a Minister, I do not see that I should bo justified, at the instance of a few people—who, however patriotic and honest in their intention, are quite uninformed as to my exact antecedents and as to my British origin,—in resigning my position as though there were some question as to my loyalty or as though there were any grounds at all for tho suggestion vou put forward in your letter."