DISLOYAL LABOUR REBUKED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 7

DISLOYAL LABOUR REBUKED

ELECTION INCIDENT AT TE KUITI

LABOUR MEETING "CUT" BY

THE MAYOR

By Telegraph—Prom a Correspondent. Tβ Kuiti, November 13. At a , recent meeting of Mr. Broom's, tne Labour candidate for Waitomo seat, the Mayor of Tβ Kuiti (Mr. G. P. Finlny) declined.to preside, and advised tho Labour Party of this decision by letter. .This was mentioned at the meeting, and although the letter was not read a motion censuring the Mayor for liie refusal to preside was lost by 10 votes to U. Ag tho Labour Party declined to moke the contents public, the Mayor hna now sont a copy of his letter to the Press. It reads as follows:— Dear Sir,— Your note of yesterday's date to hand, asking me to tako the chair at Mr. Broom's meeting to-morrow night. ■ I thank you for your offor, but at the same time I foefl myself constrained to decline to preside. It is but fair that I should, under the 'circumstances, givo you specific reasons for my attitndo. I feel that as Mayor, and as suoh. tho accredited representative of the townspeople, I could not conscientiously take tho chair at a meeting convened by a party which, judged as a party by tho public utterances . of its Parliamentary leaders, is distinctly and decidedly disloyal. Then, too, as a party to, through its Parliamentary Qeadors, your party not only actively opposed the war, but .in every way possible hindered it/3 due and proper prosecution, I need hardly remind you that ono of its leading representatives, Mr. Webb, sufferea imprisonment rather than serve, and his conduct was applauded, not condemned, by hie Parliamentary associates, and on top of o'l, that the party organ has been guilty 'of condemnatory references to our brave and suffering soldiers, of which no right- . thinking loyaV citizen can "but be other tiiiin ne,hamed. The purpose of the meeting being to assist in sending Mr. Broom to join with and act. under the direction of the men to whose■utterances I have referred, I' really must decline to assist. To do otherwise would be, t<) so countenance the past conduct of the party leaders as to affront the loyalty of the vast majority of this dominion, nnd, nboveall, to insult the memory of our honoured dead. I write yon this with some regret, but as a matter of both personal conscience, and public duty. I am, Yours faithfully, (Signed) G. P. TINLAY, Mayor of Te Kuiti,