"Tux GLAnwrowe Lr.soue Msarrnre AT ATTLEBoROuGN. To the Editor of
the " Easters Daily Press."
Sin—My attention has been called to a report of a meeting held at Attleborough on the 26th under the auspices of the 'Gladstone League: The meeting was called for the pure of presenting a purse of gold and the roll of honour of the league to a person alleged to have been discharged from his employment for political reasons. Though your report carefully avoids mentioning the name of either employer or man, it is perfectly well known in the district that Messrs. Wm. Gaymer & Son, Ltd., of which company I am managing director, were the employers, and that the man was E. Bowen, who had been for many years in our employ, and at the time of dismissal held the post of foreman in our works. Great emphasis is laid by the speakers, especially Mr. Lester, the defeated Liberal candidate for Mid Norfolk at the last General Election, on the point that the Gladstone League never takes up a case without very careful enquiry, and, to quote Mr. Lester, without having satisfied themselves in every way that it is a genuine case, and the mere fact that the Gladstone League had done that is a guarantee that this case of Mr. Bowen's is a genuine one.' It would be interesting to get from the Gladstone League some expression of what they consider thorough enquiry ; I should have thought that the first enquiry would have been of the employer, but in this case no such enquiry has been addressed by anybody to me or to any responsible official of my company Had such an enquiry been made, the answer would have been given that Bowen was dismissed for gross disobedience of definite orders, and not for a first offence, but for continued acts of insubordina- tion. These acts (repeatedly condoned in consideration of Bowen's many years' service) culminated in deliberate disobedience, which caused his dismissal. Moreover, in acknowledging the gift at the meeting, Bowen himself admits this, and used the following words, which do not appear in your report: 'As you all know well, I would not like it to go forth that I was paid off really for political matters. I was paid off because I disobeyed orders especially, nothing more or less.' I feel it necessary to inform the public, who might well be left in the dark by your very guarded report, of the causes which gained for the 'hero' of the evening a cheap and profitable celebrity.
I may add that the delay in sending this letter has been caused by my absence on business during the past week.—I am, sir, yours Managing Director of Wm. Gaymer & Son, Ltd., Attleborough. Attleborough, July 30th."
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