STORY DENIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1940, Page 9

STORY DENIED.

ECHO OF CASE OF MR. J. A. LEE POSITION OF SECONDER. A suggestion current in\ Auckland that the expulsion of Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. for Grey Lynn, from the New Zealand Labour party is invalid, because the .seconder of the expulsion motion at the Easter conference of the party, Mr,

J. S. Stewart, was not authorised to represent his branch—Epsom-Royal Oak —at the conference, was refuted to-day by Mr. Stewart. "The story is quite untrue,"' *=aid Mr. Stewart, "as my attendant' ■ at the conference was approved by the branch and, furthermore, by the credentials committee set lip by the conference. The Royal Oak branch met la-st Monday, when I submitted my report on the conference, and the meeting was quite amicable. Mr. A. G. Osborne, M.P. for Onebunga, was present and, following the presentation of my report, no questions whatever wore asked. I can assure you there is no foundation for *.h» allegations that are being made. Incidentally, at a meeting of the branch several months aj:o. a resolution »«< passed condemning the actions of Mr. Lee." Mr. Stewart also denied that the meeting of the branch censured him for the stand he took at the conference when Mr. Lee's case was under con-

siduration. He explained that lie had resigned his jiositioii as president of the liraiK-h an<l was transferring to the central branch, as he lived in the city. The po.-ition was that a new Labour Representation Cotiunittee had been formed in Onehunga, and the Epsotn-ltoyal Oak branch now came under its jurisdiction and not under that of the Auckland L.tt-C. All the members of the old branch had resigned and new officers had been elected on Monday night.