BANNED COMMUNIST PAPER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 37, 8 January 1943, Page 4

BANNED COMMUNIST PAPER

Sir,—The following is the reply which was received from the Minister of Justice re the resolution passed at a public meeting at Edgeeumbe requesting the Government to lift the ban on the Communist newspaper "The People's Voice." "I have received your letter of the oth December forwarding resolution passed at a public meeting held at Edgeeumbe on 4.th instant requesting the removal of the ban on the "People's Voice." The matter has been further con-e sidered. by the Government and I have to say that there, is nothing to prevent everyone from assisting the national war effort, but the past . conduct of the "People's Voice" showed systematic and persistent obstruction of that effort, and the revival of the paper cannot be permitted." We here have a clear indication of the amount of respect that the Minister has for public opinion. The' Minister has received hundreds of such requests and has treated them all in the same undemocratic manner. No regard, is paid to the fact that the Communist Party stakes the leading part in the. figllt against Fascism and that without the "People's Voice" its. official organ it is severely handicapped. Mr Mason'> counterpart in Britain has been forced to remove the ban on the "Daily Worker" and it is time that public opinion in this country be-> came, sufficiently powerful to force Mr Mason's hand in the same direction. Yours etc., Secretary, Edgecuinbe Branch Communist Party. .