Letting Of Regent Theatre For Sunday Meeting

Chronicle (Levin), 10 June 1949, Page 4

Letting Of Regent Theatre For Sunday Meeting

Could a pubric attack on Comnunism be classified as political? he Levin Borough Council decided on Wednesday night that it was lot and agreed to an appiication •y-the Levin branch. of the New Zealand Labour Party for perm'isslon to use the Regent Theatre for he Hon. Robert Semp"e to. address x Sunday meetine cslled in. the interests of protecting this couhtry -v from Communism. The council was at first dubious; ' many members believing that the meeting was to be an e'ectioneering one. It was pointed out by the Mayor, Mr. H." B. Burdekin, that as - he understood it the address was to be solely an at'laek off. Communism. Cr. J. Miller said that he still objeete'd. to a Sunday being chosen. -Could the Mayor be certain that no party po'itics would enter in.o the address? • Cr. D. J. Sweetzer said that the on'y grounds he could see on which the request cnuld I"3 hat of religion, but it seemed to him ' that if Mr. c>empid w.o iressing -the peiple on Communism xnd its effect on the country, he vould be automaticaTy fighting for the Church and religion. On that ine of reasoning he would agree to the hall being let. Mr. Burdekin said that he was one of those who was complete"y '• mnvinced that if some action was not taken against the Communists, , the people would have no country . and there woul'd be no counei1. "I am per»fectly convinced that it. is, not a question of porty politics, but a ma' ter f'o" the safety of our country," he added. It was decided that permission to use -the theatre be granted on the Sunday on the basis that party politics *did not enter into the ad7 dress. Earlier in the proceedings, the Mayor said that he had agreed to preside at Mr, Semple's meeting.