CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1858, 27 July 1918, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To tlu> Editor.) Sir. —Willi all due respect to Mr P. T. Robinson, he has no need to he at a loss why I should explain what look place at the meeting in question, as [ think anyone who read the report of that meeting can .-me for themselves. As he says, on Ihe facts as I explained (hem I had no reason to explain anything. Then I don’t see any reason to hide anything. I still maintain that I owed an explanation after the trend of events look' at Iha I meeting, and 1 have since been told I hat 1 invited Mr Mornhlow there under false pretences. I would also pond out that Mrs Gill attended as a member of the Hospital Board, as I nndcrsiand she announced to 1 hi* meeting. Any mention of Labour Parly was made only alter. Mr Hornhlow’s precipitate ret i remen I caused .Mrs (RH p, introduce matters entirely foreign to Ihe subject altogether, vide lasi Thursday's (llllh h,sl.) issue, containing that report. Apparentlv it was not worth while for the visitors to explain things before we asked another to do so, hat on.hearing that, another was going to address ns on the subject mentioned, it was suddenly discovered that we existed. I do not deny their right as Labour visitors or members of other parties to visit any branch, hut I denv the right of any visitors to lakc’np the altitude adopted by Mrs Gill. I don I care who the visitors were, or who the oilier parly happened to be, hut when anyone comes, at the invitation of any of the Party, then it is for the Party to see that they are treated with due respect, irrespective of their political opinions. Further, instead of hearing both sides of the question, I for one, had the mortification of hearing the local hospital representative made the target for our lady visitor to vent her wrath upon (vide issue dated above). The next time a visitor is invited I hope we know beforehand what procedure will be adopted towards him, and the policy of the Labour Party will he carried out, free speech, fair criticism, as that is another one of Labour’s axioms. As far as I know, when anyone comes to address any meeting, we expect an address, hut when the visitor commences his address and lind that he is to be “torn to pieces, etc.,” by such as “One Who Knows,”' to use his words, when inviting others to come and see him do that trick, then he who is to address that meeting should he informed beforehand what to expect, and as forewarned is forearmed, if gives all a chance to hear the pros and cons, which was denied the meeting by the unexpected presence of Mrs 'Gill, who came at the last minute and caused the present controversy by bringing in matters personal and entirely irrelevant to the subject altogether.—l am, etc., E. G, MAR TIE.