DUNEDIN WEST: THE LABOUR PARTY NOMINATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22369, 17 September 1934, Page 5

DUNEDIN WEST: THE LABOUR PARTY NOMINATION

. TO THE EDITOB. ', SlB, —If there is one man of whom the •Labour Party in New Zealand will be Broud it is the gentleman whom the lunedin West Labour Party Selection rejected as a candidate for .parliamentary honours. Without regard !to party, one can admire faithful service, jiand when that service, extending over a -long period, is rewarded, without cause ;)or reason, by summary rejection, it becomes a matter which reflects unfavourably on those responsible. Surely the 'jvrork of years in the interests of Labour, ' ;>involving numerous sacrifices of health, .time, and money, is worthy of a more grateful return than this public rebuke, litb- use no harsher term, administered to i'Mr Gilchrist? : ; -Were thia all it would be sufficient to tjnake all who value fair dealing disgusted, but there are persistent rumours. ! that the means adopted to secure Mr :!Gilchrist's rejection were not aboveijboard, and that the real position is ieummed up in the expression I have used :• —"to secure the candidate's rejection." I'From inquiries made by the writer, and Mm view of the allegations made at a IjLaboiir Party meeting following the voting upon selection of candidates, irregu- ■ parities seem to have been a feature of. 'ithe ballot. It is alleged that some who jshould not have voted were allowed to ;(do so and that some of those who had a ijperfect right, to vote were not given a ichance. It is well known that the toleration and wide sympathies of Mr Gilchrist ■have not met with the approval of some of the party to which he belongs and on numerous occasions the enmity of a certain section has been displayed unmistakably. ■ It would appear, ,if the allegations now being circulated fjere true, that these opponents of Mr Giljchrist are prepared to go to even greater pengths to secure his elimination from the * jparty. It is a position which cannot be jjignored by Labourites since it must lower •|the name of Labour among the people as jia whole and 'must be reflected in the

jlresults of the election now before us. ■Certainly the friends of Mr Gilchrist jwill not let the matter rest where it is ;jbut are determined that the whole facts jishall be gone into without delay. This Ijsort of tactics has not been unknown in ;jthe Labour Party before, but it is no • 'enemy of that party who demands recognition of a sterling character and who I .protests against the injustice that is uow ijbeing done. If the charges made are '"■true, the enemies of Mr Gilchrist have the mark on this occasion, •jas they are likely to discover in the near 'ifuture.—l am, etc., • Advocate. t! September 15.