MR. LEWIN HITS OUT AGAIN.

Chronicle (Levin), 18 January 1949, Page 7

MR. LEWIN HITS OUT AGAIN.

WELLINGTON, Jan. 1-7. Whatevcr Ihe p'otit'ic-al beliefs or affiliations of klr. Cecil Holmes, lre had, been vicliinised bec'ause Ol' his Public Service Association activit.y, said the president of the New Zealarid Public Service Association, Mr. J. P. Le-win, in u message sent today to members of the association. Mr. Lewin said: — "Mr. Holmes was elected the representativc of his fellow eriiployces al the iilm studios and as president rny dealings with him wero on tlie same basis as my deaiings with other elected representatives in tliat I made 110 inquiry ns to liis political or rfdigious views. It is not my place to say wlio sliaJI or who shall not be elected to speak for liis fellow worlcers. Wlnitever Mr. Holmes' political beliefs or affiliations, he lias been victimised because of his association activity. He presented too good a mark to let pass. "The suggestion that 1 am Ihe tooi of the Communist Party, is entireiy false as wero earlier cliarges that I was the tool of the Labour Party and the

uiore recent charges that I was aiding the National Party. As president, my politics are the policies of the association subject only to the law of the land. My personal political outlook is still as I stated it in my Wellington Town ±iail address. "The fact that no stopwork meeting w^s lield was due to my personal intervention vvhich tobk place as soon as 1 was informed that Such a meeting was to be lield. This information came to 3fe from the national office and not from the letter wliich Mr. Holmes is aileged to liave vvritten. 1 intervened to prevent the stopwork meeting because I considered it to be prejudieiai to the suceess of association aspirations in the existing circumstances and because it was the executive committes's policv to discourage stopworX meetings. ' ' tio long as 1 reniain president, I will continue to carry out the policies laid dowu by the democraticaJly elected governiug bodies of the association. if at any time I cannot subscribe to those policies, I will resign the' presidency and oppose tlie policies as a private luembor. « LJiis propaganda attack was not . uiade upou iuc us. . aii individual - but upou uie as presjdcnl oi tlie association, with tlie intention of dividing the assoi latlon . aiu( dol ealing its just and proved salaiN cJaiins. I'he metliods used were. appxoprmte to the aims and !. should .. LHemsclves convinc.e public servauts that all their uuity and all their strength are required to combat the tuctics oi personal vihlication and mf imidiii ion whicli are being used to do.UV;,n. VV. sfl,'.a,'.v mcrcases which snould nghlfully be theiri. Althougli tlie propagandist asfiaiilt has lice n launched against nip aB presidt ut and spokesman of tlu Association, my scalp, as aji individual, may also be. t tlircal cncd. As 1- see it, whetiicr ,1 , aniouut to much or littlc as an individual is beside the pomt. Wluit is very. ; much to the point is that no trade uuion can admit ihe victimisation of its J'.ddcis or niemliers and no president wortli a pincli of salt can run aivay auay from tlie trade uiuon arena mereJy b(?cause atteiupts are made to persecute and victiinisc him as an indivij dual. ' '