Opposition MP Mr. Reginald Burrows has voiced his concern about the Hamilton Rotary's treatment of the Progressive Labour Party.

And while he made it clear that he has not resigned from club, Mr. Burrows said the behaviour of the club -- to which he has belonged for almost 20 years -- was upsetting.

"I am still terribly upset by the way the Hamilton Rotary Club have allowed speakers to speak on the Independence referendum, and have not invited anyone from the Progressive Labour Party to speak on our position,'' he said, "especially since we had a Progressive Labour Party member of Parliament and a Senator as members of the club.'' Unlike the United Bermuda Party, PLP MPs and Senators were united in their abstention position, Mr. Burrows said.

"We feel this clearly shows that certain members of the Hamilton Rotary Club have no respect for the Progressive Labour Party members and we know who they are.'' Mr. Burrows refused to reveal who he was talking about. But he said: "I have always felt that it is easier to work from inside an organisation to promote change, than from the outside. In many cases resignations in protest do nothing to strengthen an organisation.'' Noting that for many years he was the only MP who was active in the Rotary club, Mr. Burrows added: "Rotary International is a well respected world-wide organisation that is dedicated to trying to help the less fortunate around the world.'' "...I am still terribly upset by the way the Hamilton Rotary Club have treated the Progressive Labour Party,'' he said. "And I hope a repeat of an incident such as this will never ever happen again in the Hamilton Rotary Club.'' But Opposition Senate Leader Mr. Milton Scott, who resigned from the club last week, said Hamilton Rotary president Mr. Jan J. Spiering told him the club had "no intention of allowing Mr. Wade to speak'' at its media-covered weekly luncheon.

The club did not want to get involved in the political realm, Sen. Scott said he was told.

As a result of that, he said: "I felt that I could no longer be a part of an organisation that can treat Mr. Wade with such contempt.'' Noting that one of the club rules included "being fair to all'', Sen. Scott said the club was breaking its own rules.

Mr. Spiering told The Royal Gazette the club's speaker-selection committee decided to invite Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan and Tourism Minister the Hon.

C.V. (Jim) Woolridge to address the club because they had differing views on Independence.

The speakers were told that they could speak on Independence only, Mr.

Spiering stressed.

And while both mentioned the referendum, he added: "We felt that inviting anyone else would be digging ourselves deeper into an area we did not want to get involved in.''