History of the New England newspaper press 17 - How the battle for pre-selection happened in 1920

Lieutenant Colonel H F White DSO, 35th Battalion, standing in front of his quarters at Lahoussoye, France White handled the Progressive Party pre-selection meeting with firmness and tact. 

This is the seventeenth in a series on the history of the media and especially the newspaper press in New England, the tenth column on the emergence of the NSW Country Party.

Early in 1920, the Progressive Party's Electorate Council met at Glen Innes to consider candidates for the March elections.

In addition to David Drummond, seven nominations had been received from the branches: M.F. Bruxner (grazier and stock and station agent of Tenterfield); J.S. Crapp (grazier of Uralla); F.B. Fleming (grazier of Moree); P.R. Little (grazier and storekeeper of Bundarra); G.B. Ring (financial agent of Inverell); George Codrington (journalist of Inverell); and A. Piggot (orchadist and farmer of Inverell).

 Early in 1920, the Progressive Party’s Electorate Council met at Glen Innes to consider candidates for the March elections., In addition to Drummond, seven nominations had been received from the branches: M.F. Bruxner (grazier and stock and station agent of Tenterfield); J.S. Crapp (grazier of Uralla); F.B. Fleming (grazier of Moree); P.R. Little (grazier and storekeeper of Bundarra); G.B. Ring (financial agent of Inverell); George Codrington (journalist of Inverell); and A. Piggot (orchadist and farmer of Inverell).

It was a difficult meeting for Drummond.

The Progressives with their slogan 'No pre-selection or pledge' were strongly opposed to any form of pre-selection of candidates. At the same time, only two candidates could hope to be successful in the three member electorate, Labor was assured of the third seat, while there were also financial problems associated with large numbers of candidates.

 An immediate move was made to exclude. Drummond. It was to avoid just this possibility that Drummond had gained the assurances from the president and secretary of the Council that his Party organising work would not invalidate his candidature, and he refused to budge.

 The Council then packed the candidates off to the Council Chambers to debate who should withdraw. Just before lunch it was proposed that the candidates should have a ballot among themselves to select the three or four most likely to succeed. Drummond rejected this: he politely told the group that he had been invited to run, was correctly nominated, and until his Committee asked him to withdraw 'there was nothing doing'.

 After lunch the candidates, with Drummond dissenting, asked the Electorate Council to indicate which four were most likely to succeed. The Chairman, Colonel H.F. White, 'one of the most likeable and sterling characters' Drummond had met, refused on the grounds that 'it would be really pre-election selection which they had come into existence as a Party to destroy'. The candidates thereupon returned to the Council Chambers.

 The pressure was intense. 'We are getting nowhere', one candidate told the group angrily, 'Drummond is a beggar to argue'.

 As a number of candidates needed to catch the 5 pm southbound Glen Innes Mail, the proposal was made that they should hold a ballot among themselves to select the most likely four, but that the result should not bind Drummond. Drummond, 'heartily sick of playing a lone hand all-day', agreed, as did Council Chairman White.

 In the vote that followed, Drummond came fifth with three votes. Realizing as he caught the south-bound Glen Innes Mail that evening for Uralla (Pearl and the children were staying at nearby Arding) that publication of the ballot result must damage his changes Drummond decided to act.  

 There was to be a Farmers’ and Settlers’ (FSA) District Council meeting at Inverell next day. Drummond decided to return to Inverell in the morning to get the Council's endorsement for his action.

 Waiting on the Uralla platform next morning for the north-bound train, Drummond had a casual conversation that changed his life, 

Note to readers: This post was prepared as a column for the on-line edition of the Armidale Express. I am repeating the columns here with a lag because they are not all on line outside subscription. You can see all the Belshaw World and History Revisited/History Matters columns by clicking here for 2009, here for 2010, here for 2011, here for 2012, here for 2013, here for 2014, here for 2015,  here for 2016, here  2017, here 2018, here 2019, here 2020