WILL HE PRESIDE ?

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7849, 11 July 1911, Page 1

WILL HE PRESIDE ?

MB TAYLOR AND MR MASSEY. PEEfIS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH. July 10. The following letter was sent by the Mayor (Mr T. E. Taylor) to the secretary of the Canterbmy Political Reform League: —* Sir, —In ray letter to yon of tho 7th inst., iu which I accepted the invitation from tho Canterbury Reform League to preside at the. meeting to bo addressed by Mr W. P. Massey to-morrow (Tucs. day) evening. I expressed -tho hope that Mr Massey would avail himself of tho opportunity tho meeting will afford him of proving or apologising for tho grave charge of dishonourable conduct ho made against mo in tho House of Representatives on November 29th last. - I wrote Mr Massey on December 22nd, asking liim to repeat his charge against mo publicly so that I could toko legal action to compel him to prove his accusation, and if be lacked the courage to ny peat liis charge free from tho protection of lids parliamentary privileges, urged that he should apologise for tho gross untruth he has uttered. H© has not had the courtesy to reply to my letter. Ho ha 3 declared from his place in Parliament that ho knows facts such as would if published exclude mo from tho public life of tins country. Ho proposes now to speak to the people of Christchurch and prove that the political party in power is destitute of political courage, capacity and honour; yet h© declines to prove the accusation he has made against me or to apologise for the insult he offered myself and my constitntents.

Hi an interview reported in to-day’s ‘"Lyttelton Times/’ Mr Massey is said-to have referred tp tho matter I now writ© of a.s a political squabble. In reply I say his action involves his courage, his truthfulness, and his fitness to occupy the position he covets as the loader of this country’*; Parliament. The position for myself ns chairman of to-morrow night’s meeting is so difficult that, although I am willing to preside, and will do my to secure for Mr Massey a perfectly fair hearing; and although X publicly urge my friends to avoid anv expression of feeling at the meeting, I suggest that it would bo wisest for you to secure someone els© to take tho chair.