LABOR AND THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2502, 15 May 1909, Page 6

LABOR AND THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

[To The Em-roit.]

Sir, —In your issue of this morning a correspondent signed “Anti-Hum-bug” (though judging by the style the letter should have been signed ■‘Humbug Only”) desires to cast in a mean and contemptible manner a slight upon the Trades and Labor Council without bringing forth the slightest argument for doing so, unless his argument is “that the Council boasted some time ago of 'being able to command a few hundred votes at an election of .certain public- committees.” " This statement 1 admit was made at the time when the election for the Licensing Committee was imminent, but “Anti-Humbug’' well knows that"-the district’s electoral roll for licensing purposes is quite different to the municipal roll, and probably our influence at the licensing election so manifested itself that it was a thorn in the side of “Anti-Humbug.”’ The writer, also states “that the egotistical claims of the Council have grown to such dimensions that the public are invited to witness their deliberations,” etc., etc. I may state that when the Council resolved to open their meeting for debate to the public they considered that by an exchange of opinion on any vital subject a clear and definite understanding would more speedily be arrived at. That is, what “Humbug’.’ terms egotism. Sir, reading between tho lines the letter strikes me very forcibly as showing a strong sentiment of class prejudice, also an attempt to strike at tic- on account, of our youth. But, Sir, I have yet to learn that “whiskers denote wisdom. Trusting the honorable penman will lose, some olTus cowardice by attaching his name in future to Ills correspondence,--! am, . y J. H. MALIi.

[We have a 1 so received a letter ol similar import from M. G. Nasmith, juur., on the same subject. —Ed. G, I.]