CHALLENGE DECLINED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 51, 24 November 1930, Page 12

CHALLENGE DECLINED

Mr. Roberts & Mr. Bromley REFUSAL OF DEBATE The suggestion by Mr. W. Bromley, one of the two workers’ representatives on the Unemployment Board and president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, to debate the merits of his nomination and that of the secretary of the council, Mr. F. D. Cornwell, to the board, was declined by Mr. J. Roberts, secretary of the Alliance of Labour. In announcing last evening’s meeting an advertisement invited the New Zealand Welfare League, the Minister of Labour and the Trades and Labour Executive to attend and hear the verdiet of the “rank and file” upon the question of electing workers’ representatives to the board A letter was sent to Mr. Roberts by Mr. Bromley, who said tlyit he “accepted the challenge on behalf of the Trades and Labour Council,” nnd he suggested that the meeting might be turned into a debate in order that the full facts of the differences of opinion between the Alliance of Labour and tiie Trades and Labour Council could be made known. The offer of a debate was refused by Mr. Roberts, who denied that any challenge had been issued. He said an invitation only had been extended to the Minister and the other two bodies to attend.and he added that as the meeting had been arranged by the alliance it had no intention of allowing Mr. Bromley or any of the Alliance of Labour’s opponents to take up the time of the meeting.