NO LABOUR SPLIT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 51, 28 February 1929, Page 7

NO LABOUR SPLIT

RUMOUR FLATLY DENIED STATEMENT BY HEADQUARTERS. ** I Per Press Association, j WELLINGTON. Feb. 27. Rumours in circulation of a split in the Labour I’arty were emphatically denied by a high official of the movement in Wellington to-day.

“There is not a tittle of truth in the statement. They are utter rubbish and just a silly canard. Somone’s imagination has been working overtime,” was the summary of the secretary oi the Parliamentary Labour Party (Mr P. Fraser). The allegation was that the moderate members of the party, chafing tin der its leadership, were stated to be withdrawing from the Labour ranks, the names connected with the supposed schism being Messrs W. L. Martin (Raglan). W. J. Jordan (Manukau;, F. luangstone (Wainiarino), J. W. Munro North) and E. J. Howard (Christchurch South). Mr Fraser, after making the declaration quoted above, said there wore no more loyal members to the party than those named, and they had proved their loyalty by many years of service to [Labour. Mr 11. E. Holland’s re-elec-tion to the leadership of the party for the life of the present Parliament, which took place during the recent brief session, had not only been unanimous, but enthusiastic, those present uniting in eulogising his work for ..he movement and the party. In endorsing the statement of Mr Fraser, the secretary of the N?w Zealand Labour Party (Mr W. Nash) said that headquarters in Wellingtos would be the first to learn of any such dissension. He had never heard the slightest suggestion of it, and he could not possibly dream of anything of the kind happening, as the members mentions 1 were in constant touch with the national office as late as yesterday. What better evidence of repudiation could be given? Mr Nash added that he had just received a letter from Mr Jordan intimating that he would be attending the national conference.