A CHARGE REFUTED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2315, 24 November 1914, Page 7

A CHARGE REFUTED

MR HORNSBY'S VICTIMISATION. . Some comment has been_ made in certain quarters in the Wairarapa regarding a communication the Department of Justice sent to_ Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, who is contesting the Wairar rapa seat under the Opposition banner. It seems that Mr. Hornsby is the Coroner for the district, and is _ said to have occupied that official position for the last five years. Recently the Department advised Mr. Hornsby that a coroner was a Civil Servant within the meaning of Section 24 of the Legislature Act, under which provision he would be liable to disqualification' if elected a member of Parliament. According to tho statement which has been printed, Mr. Hornsby is incensed at the advice he has received from the Justice Department, and is credited with having said that the Department has strained the statuto in order to bring his official position under tho provision of-the Act referred to;, On Saturday a Dominion reporter made inquiries at the' Justice Department regarding the matter. It seems that the Department's attention was directed to the fact that as Mr. Hornsby was oc : cupying a position in the Pubjic Service he would be liable to disqualification if elected a member of Panament. The Department referred the point to the Crown Law Officers, who advised that the contention was right that a coroner was a Civil Servant within the meaning of the Aot, and that such officer would incur disqualification if elected a member of Parliament. Tho Department says that "in ordinal? courtesy ajid fairness this was' intimated to Mr. Hornsby. _ The gentleman was not asked to resign nor was it even suggested he should do so, this being a matter for himself to decide."

In the statement published reference is made to eomk criticism which the member for Wairarapa (Sir Walter Buchanan) is said to have made against Mr. Hornsby dealing with his appointment as a _ coroner. It appears that when the criticism referred to was made. Mr. Hornsby wrote to the Minister of Justice strongly repudiating the remarks made by the member. for the district, and requesting the Minister to forward his communication to the member for the district for his perusal. The Minister of Justice, it seems, in acknowledging the receipt of the letter suggested to Mr._ Hornsby that he communicate his objections to the statements to which he had referred to the member for the 'Wairarapa, who made them. It is not customary, the Department points out, ■ to refer official communications received to members of Parljament, and the Minister did not consider that it was competent for hiin to interfere in a quarrel between Mr. Hornsby and the member for the .Wairarapa.