MR. HOLLAND DENIES RUMOURED RETIREMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2969, 1 December 1925, Page 2

MR. HOLLAND DENIES RUMOURED RETIREMENT.

BITTER ATTACK ON NEW CHIEF JUSTICE.

Greymouth, Last Night.

Interviewed by the Westport representative of the “Grey River Argus” to-night regarding a statement published in the Christchurch "Star” to the elfeot that owing to ill health he (Mr. Holland) contemplates retiring from polities to take up journalism and that in doing so lie would make way for Mr. O’Brien, Mr. H. E. Holland (leader of the Labour party) said that the statement was the fabrication of the paper that gave it publicity. If it had been other than a fabrication the paper would have approached him for information before, publishing it, but no reporter had come to him. lie was quite certain that no responsible member of the Labour movement had anything to do with the matter.

The statement affecting his health was a foolish falsehood, hut it was true Mrs. Holland had been seriously ill, having undergone a dangerous operation from the effects of which she was now slowly 7 recovering.

So far as AH'. O’Brien was concerned Air. Holland remarked that the Press Association would no doubt have transmitted his (Air. Holland’s) speech of Friday evening in the course of which he said lie was contident it would ultimately be found that Air. O’Brien was still the member for Westland. The statement, remarked Air. Holland, that the Party was pursuing a policy of inaction in the matter of the Westland seat undoubtedly retlected the wish that was father to the thought, and it was equally untrue with the other allegations. It was regrettable that the opponents of Labour should deem themselves justified in circulating without any refereneve whatever to the parties concerned statements which they must have known had no foundation in fat. c

THE NEW CHIEF JUSTICE. Referring to the appointment of Mr. Skerrett to the Chief Justiceship, Mr. Holland said the appointment would cull forth emphatic protest from the whole Labour movement. He hoped the day would come when the appointment of political partisans to such a position would cease. It was certain that a better method of making these appointments would have to be found. AH. Skerrett’s association with and domination of the so-called Welfare League (which had no real existence so far as membership was concerned), and the bittei class prejudice expressed in the matter for which the ficitious League was responsible, ought certainly to have constituted a bar to his appointment to the Chief Justiceship.