MUNICIPAL BYE-ELECTION.

Southland Times, Issue 17656, 14 February 1916, Page 2

MUNICIPAL BYE-ELECTION.

To the Editor. Sir, —Tlie Labour Representation Committee are not at all averse to Mr Jacob Alsweiler using the columns of the newspapers, on the contrary, so far, he appears to have been able to demonstrate very clearly that his case is remarkably weak. Therefore the L.R.C. trust that Mr Alsweiler will keep going in print. Air Alsweiler talks about our fake statements, but Is very careful not to go any further, and the reason is, no doubt, quite obvious to your readers.

The L.R.C. took care not to allow any statements to appear in any of their letters which were not founded on absolute fact, and they challenge Mr Alsweiler to point, out any single statement of theirs which is incorrect.

It is very easy for anyone to throw out a reckless indefinite charge about other people's statements being “fake statements,’’ but when a person who makes such a charge happens to be a candidate for a public position, he lays himself open to the suspicion that lie is bitting below tlie belt, if be does not go further and show the public that his charges are true and not made simply fdr the purpose of taking votes from tlie other side.'

Air Alsweiler waxes sarcastic at the expense of the L.R.C., but lie seems to forget that he was himself at one time associated with it and if he was so anxious about tlie welfare of Labour he would have been a little more energetic, and then probably he would have secured a larger measure of support from that committee when the first selection took place. It says very little for Mr Alsweiler and those now associated with him when he makes the admission that Labour is not strong enough to put in their own nominee. Any Labour man, worthy of the name of Labour, would prefer to be beaten as a Labour nominee rattier than win as a compromise between Labour and antiLabour.

Mr Alsweiler is active now that ho has been misled into the belief that he lias a chance to gain some personal distinction. If he had been found "delivering the goods” for Labour faithfully and industriously during the time when Labour should have been undergoing education and organisation Labour would now be much stronger in Invercargill, and probably Air Alsweiler would also bo the Labour nominee for the present vacancy on the Council.

Mr Alsweiler might be a little more explicit and let your readers know in what particular the outside workers he me-ntions are likely to gain by giving their support to him instead of to Mr Winders. Admittedly Mr Winders lias not been so long in Invercargill as Air Alsweiler, but we are content to let those who know the two gentlemen judge which is the more likely to do tlie most good for Labour if elected. If Labour wants a man who will bo a live member and a worker in the interest of progress they will vote for Air Winders; if they prefer a member who is a past master in the art of masterly inactivity, well in that case they will not be found supporting Air Winders.

And in conclusion wo would like to say that if Mr Alswe.iler is trying to introduce any misleading inuendo when he mentions "workmen skilled and unskilled, who are not ashamed of their labour," it does not apply to the L.U.C., fur we are not ashamed of our labour in the interest of the working class, and we will continue to do our utmost for the cause of 1-abour, oven should such a circumstance happen that some of our members should desert us iu a lorlorn attempt to secure their own personal aggrandisement.—Wc arc, etc., INVERCARGILL LABOUR REPRESEN T A TlO N CO M M IT TEI •'. Invercargill, 12th .February.