MR. HORNSBY & LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 47, 25 August 1919, Page 8

MR. HORNSBY & LABOUR

tc mi editos

Sir, —For the sake of Mr. Hornsby's own immortal soul, ha should'not be encouraged to take cuttle-fish refuge from the nnloveliness ,of his error in inky camouflage. I suppose it is characteristic of the member for Wairarapa that he finds it difficult to keep to any point, let me assist him. His very definite statement was :"An ' official' Labour man has to sign a pledge that he will do as he is told by the Labour executive, which exists outside the House

... a despicable position for any man to occupy." Mr. Hornsby's state-" ment was, I submit, untrue; and all that, he has to explain is whether he deliberately made the statement knowing it to be untrue, or whether he made it in simple ignorance, actually thinking it was true. It goo 3 without saying that one of these questions must be answered in the affirmative. There is no need .for me to repeat -what Mr. Hornsby's position is if either ot them is answered affirmatively. Of coin's©, with Mr. Hornsby's political record for criterion, I can without any difficulty at all appreciate the thrill of horror which must have chilled his political spine when it came to his knowledge that the official Labour man is really capable of pledging himself to observe loyalty to the political principles on which he asks the people to elect him to Parliament. But, all side issues apart, will Mr. Hornsby condescend to explain his reason for making that untrue statement that " an 'official' Labour man has to sign a pledge that he will do as ho is told by the Labour executive, which .exists outside the House"?—l am, etc., H. E. HOLLAND. 23rd August.

Arrangements are well in hand for the Returned Soldiers' Ball, which takes place in tho Town Hall, on stli September, at 8.30 p.m. All asssociation members who intend to lie present are requested to obtain their tickets as early as possible. Cowley's orchestra has been engaged. The Concert Chamber has been secured for supper, and arrangements for this are in the hands of Mrs. Oscar Johnson. Advice that it is still unlawful to fly the White Ensign on shore without the ■permission of a naval authority has been received by an Auckland resident from the naval adviser. The regulations on the subject were gazetted in 1917, and remain in force until one year after the war. permission will therefore have to bo obtained from the naval adviser before the White Ensign is flown 'during the i visit of Lord Jolttcoo.