EDEN BY-ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3756, 9 March 1926, Page 54

EDEN BY-ELECTION.

REFORM PARTY’S CANDIDATE. AUCKLAND. March 2. A conference, attended b 124 delegates from 14 sub-branches of th Political Reform League, resulted in Sir James Gunson securing a clear majority as the party’s candidate for the Eden by-election. The delegates present signed a pledge to vote and work for the selected candidate, and expressed their contir -id confidence ill the Rt. Hon. J. G- Coates, and appreciation of the services rendered by Sir James Parr. DISSATISFIED NOMINEES. AUCKLAND, March 4. Phi seven unsuccessful nominees for selection as the Reform candidate for the Eden electorate express themselves as exceedingly dissatisfied over the method followed at the selection meeting. They state they were kept under lock and key in a room and were only allowed out in turn to address the meeting. What particularly annoys them is the fact that Sir James Gunson, the successful candidate, did not have similar restrictions imposed upon him. The following telegram has been dispatched to the Prime Minister; “Eden

by-election. Protest by Reform candidates. We the undersigned candidates who submitted our names for ballot in connection with the selection of a candidate in the Reform interests in the above bv-election desire to reaffirm the protest already entered by us. Before the ballot was taken by the delegates at Mount Albert on March 1 there were serious irregularities in connection with the proceedings, and we, therefore, decline to hold ourselves bound by our pledges. While there were a number of irregularities, our chief criticism is that though wo were all kept strictly under lock and key as prisoners, and conducted one by one under strict control to the audience chamber, and not allowed to hear each other’s speeches Sir Jas. GunsOn was given preferential treatment in that lie was allowed his liberty, and was in a position to hear the speeches of the other candidates. The organiser was in private communication with Sir James Gunson throughout the evening. We ask the Reform Party to stand by the pledges given to us on their behalf that we would be given fair play if we put ourselves in the hands of our partv. (Signed) Ellen Melville, S. Oldfield, W. J. Tait. T. J. Fleming. L. E. Rhodes, B. Bunn, David B. Russell.”

THE NATIONAL PARTY. AUCKLAND, March 4.

The National Party has decided not to put forward a candidate at the Eden byelection.

MISS MELVILLE REBELS. AUCKLAND, March 4. Miss Ellen Melville has definitely announced herself as an Independent candidate for the Eden seat. She was next to Sir James Gunson in order of selection at the delegates’ meeting. Sir James Gunson, when questioned, regarding the complaint of the rejected Reform aspirants for the Eden seat, declined to make a statement. He said he was not responsible for any grievance the malcontents might have. He had carried out all that had devolved upon him and had appeared before the delegat'd, Mr T. J. Fleming, one of the rejected aspirants, dissociates himself from the public protest made by the others and pledges his support to SBr James Gunson. The Reform Party’s organiser, Mr Davy, says that the malcontents’s protest is ridiculous in the extreme and the charges have no foundation in fact. The candidates could have gone into the street and joined Sir James Gunson as the door leading to the street was open. The reason for the locking of the other door was to keep the public out, not the candidates. DIVERTING DISCLOSURES. AUCKLAND, March 5. Under the heading, “Behind looked doors,” the New Zealand Herald deals with the Eden electorate incident as follows: “Some highly diverting disclosures have been made regarding the manner in which the conference of the Reform Party selected its official candidate for the, byelection in Eden. The rejected candidates, with one exception, have protested with much vigour of language against the proceedings mainly, it appears, because they were ‘all kept strictly under lock and key as prisoners,’ while the successful candidate had no restriction on his liberty. According to an official statement the actual fact was that the delegates were locked in a room while all the candid es were exclude.i, seven of thojn gathering in the dress circle of the theatre from which there was open communication with the street, but even if the protest to the Prime Minister is a strictlv accurate account of an actual incarceration, do its authors imagine that electors imagine that the electors of Eden, or interested spectators of the contest, will be seriously impressed by their grievance? “Seven persons as vigorous physically as they must be presumed to be mentally, meekly submit to the indignity of imprisonment . Each issues in turn to speak his piece and as meekly returns to durance vile, though half way through the proceedings they have learned that a formal protest has been futile. Had their resentment been real they had not far to go to appeal to the law’s majesty, for two of them were chief magistrates of boroughs, and legal wisdom had its representative. Surely their remedy was to break down the locked door that outraged their liberty, repudiate the whole proceedings and retire with some remnants of dignity. Since none of these things was done "the only possible conclusion is that each one of the seven was so confident of the conference's verdipt that none would risk offending it. and all so suspicious of the other’s ambitions that combination among them to effect an escape was impossible. “If their situation wore embarrassing as they now pretend there should surely have been sufficient keenness of wit and strength of purpose among them to have discovered a means of remedying it. Their submission to what they imagined to he An irregular and undignified procedure, as well as their ill-timed parading of their grievance, should satisfy the Reform electors of Eden that the conference made a very wise selection.” VARIOUS ASPIRANTS. AUCKLAND, March 7. Mr J. Rea, who has contested the Franklin seat three times a a Liberal, has offered his services to the electors of Fden. He expresses his admiration for Mr Coates but say 3 be cannot 6tand as a pledged supporter of the Reform Party. He is willing to he nominated, if reasonable prospects of support are forthcoming. Mr 0. P. W. Longdill, of Helensvilie, who makes a similar offer, states that he is prepared to stand on simitar terms, as an Independent Liberal. The Labour Party hopes to hold its oelection ballot next Tuesday if arrangements can be made. -

"account." This is a mistake. It stands for "account current."