LABOUR AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 92, 11 January 1918, Page 7

LABOUR AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Sir,—-I read tho Rev. Howard Elliott's letter with much interest, and was "also interested in Mr. Gilmore's reply. As one poquainted with the "West Coast I wish to confirm one of the E-ev. Howard Elliott's statements, that Mr. "Webb "is absolutely dependent on tho Roman voto" in the Grey electorate. Mr. Gilmoro in his verbose and feeble reply to tho Rev, Howard Elliott makes use of tho trick of hiding the fact that he (Mr. Gilmoro) brings forward no proof of his denials by accusing the Rev. Howard Elliott of doing the" same thing. The fact that Mr. Webb "is absolutely dependent on tho Roman veto" in the Grey electorate is so woll known 7 on-the Coast that ite denial there would raise a doubt of the seriousness or the sanity of the individual who denied it. Mr. Gilmoro lvmself- as a so-called Labour leader should be well .-aware of tho fact, although it suite him to deny it iii your, columns. But let me give your readers some proof of, this fact. • At the Grey by-election of 1913 three candidates were nominated, and the result of. tho first ballot, was as follows: Hannan. M. (Lib.) 2030 Michel, H. L. (Reform) 2159 ■ Webb, P. C.' (Labour) 2091 Total ...'. 6319 Mr; Gilmore says in his letter, "The Grey is a working-class electorate, 'and. Labour wins there on the votes of the working men and women." Theso figures deny this, and prove how weak .the "Red Fed." party is in New Zealand when in this electorate that Mr. Gilmore boasts about Mr. Webb in a straight-out contest in which he got all the votes of his own party could not obtain. a third o"f the votes actually polled ; ;. At the second hallot, as everyone, dii the Coast knows', the contest developed into a sectarian fight of the bitterness of ..which your readers can have no conception. The Catholics, furious., at their candidata being defeated, threw their votes for Mr. Webb. The second ballot resulted as follows :— Michel, Henry Leslie 2811 Webb,',Patrick Charles .3477 6288 The 1914 election, figures' were fery. much on the same lines :— Michel, Henry Leslie 2861 Webb, P. C 38£ '..' '■-.. " . 6702 It is also amusing to. read Mr. Gilmore's'protest about dragging "Labour into the slime and ooze of sectarian strife." It is difficult to find, an issue of the: "Maoriland Worker" in which that paper does not try by cleverlystated, half-truths and one-sided statements to inflame sectarian strife and to encourage Sinn Feinism for its own ends.—l am, etc., WEST COAST..