HONOURS FOR SALE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1924, Page 5

HONOURS FOR SALE.

A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. DISAPPOINTED CLAIMANT. JUDGE DECIDES NO CASE. By Telegraph—-Press Assn —Copyright. London, July 1. Lieut.-Colonel George Parkinson, director of a firm of building contractors at Blackpool, unfolded a remarkable story before Mr. Justice Lush. He gave evidence that he was introduced in 1921 to Ernest Harrison, managing secretary of the College of Ambulance, which instructs the public in ambulance work? 'Harrison said the college, through the president, the late Princess_-Chrisc u, had a call on certain royal -.rs, also political honeure. He was then arranging for a peerage for '£loo,ooo and a baronetcy for £125,000. He said he could get any honours, provided the applicants paid the price. He offered to procure Parkinson a knighthood for £20,000 and suggested £lO,OOO down and the balance in instalments extending over five years.

Parkinson, after consulting his solicitor, paid £3OOO and agreed to build the college a new lecture hall, also to give the college a further £5OOO. He received a letter from Princess Christian expressing her sincere gratitude for the splendid gift. Harrison, after failing to get the Conservative whip to take up the matter, called in the aid of Mrs. Robins, who gave Parkinson a letter of introduction to an official in the central Conservative offices. The official asked Parkinson what he could do for him, and Parkinson said: “The truth is I have come here to get a knighthood.” After hearing the full story’, the official said: “I am afraid you have been fooled.”

Parkinson gave evidence that his brother had since 'become Sir Lindsay Parkinson.

'Cross-examining counsel: Your standard of honour permits you to buy an honour?

Parkinson: Yes; like thousands of others. It is being done every day. Parkinson is suiting the college, also Harrison, for £3OOO damages, alleging fraudulent representation. Received July 2. 5.5 p.m. London, July 1. In the knighthood case, Mr. Henry Wright, plaintiff’s solicitor, said the plaintiff refused to pay £lO,OOO cash and then agreed to give £3OOO cash, a piece of land at Birkenhead, and a lecture hall, the whole to be given in the form of donations to the college ambulance. Harrison showed him a list of names wh'ch he declared were being recommended for various honours. At an interview, plaintiff was very blunt and made it perfectly plain that he was giving the donation as a payment for the knighthood. Witness asked for receipts for the deposit, showing it to be a payment on account of the knighthood, but the defendant refused on the ground of public policy. He did not regard the negotiations' as a disgraceful bargain because 'so much of that sort of thing was going on. Anna Robins gave evidence that she introduced the plaintiff to a Conservative Party official at defendant’s request. She impressed upon the plaintiff the necessity of being tactful in conversation with the official, but he was tactless and bluntly told the official he had come for a knighthood. She denied that she asked plaintiff for £5OO as a payment for the introduction, but he promised her a gift of that amount. She had previous experience of this sort of thing, having rendered similar assistance to three others.

Plaintiff, recalled, said his holdings in Parkinson Ltd. were £lOO,OOO. The judge stated the contract, if it existed, was tainted or illegal, but before giving judgment he would hear plaintifF* counsel.