ALLEGED LIBEL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 December 1924, Page 9

ALLEGED LIBEL.

ELLIOTT v. WORKER. PLAINTIFF GIVES EVIDENCE. MAGISTRATE’S STERN REMARK. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. "W ELLINGTON, Dec. 3. . The libel, action Howard Elliott v. the New Zealand Worker was continued to-day. Elliott went into the witness box. He said that the first plank of the P.P.A. was loyalty to King and country. His \york as secretary and national secretary of the association was based wholly bn this ideal. These subjects were the usual themes of his lectures. He admitted coupling the Labour Party with the Roman Catholic Church in his attacks. “We regard the Roman Catholic Church and its political activities as being opposed to the best interests of the Empire in the declarations of their ecclesiastics and leaders. We regard the Labour Party, as at present led and constituted, as being declared enemies of our Empire.’’ Witness declared that the unofficial organ of the Labour Party; and the leaders of the party hacl expressed sympathies with Lenin and tlie Bolshevists. Witness had no control whatever over the paper Sentinel, which was published in Auckland. He was a ’director of the paper. Baron Porcelli’s letter was addressed to witness, but. witness had not seen it until published in the Sentinel. Only private correspondence was left for witness. AU the other letters of the association were filed. Witness then proceeded to attempt to justify his references to the King and the King’s visit to the Vatican. He thought that it was a matter of comment throughout the Empire that the King had visited the Vatican.

In cross-examination by Mr Myers, witness said that it was not so important to have peace and quiet in the community.

i _ Mr Myers: This gentleman is trying ■ing to dominate the court. His Worship: “He is not going to.” Witness accepted .responsibility for the document entitled Rome’s hideous quiet in the European carnage, issued during the war. Referring to the .military censorship on the Post Officeletter box of the P.P.A., witness said that the censorship was established in the interests of the ' Roman Catholic Church at one stage. Air Page, S.M., said that he did not wish to hear any more reasons why witness considered the Porcelli letter consistent with ordinary decency. Air Elliott: “I think vour Worship is very unfair.” His Worshin (sternly): “That will do.” Mr Myers asked witness questions about the Clements case. Counsel will address the court this afternoon.