"SEDITIOUS AND DISLOYAL"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2859, 25 August 1916, Page 6

"SEDITIOUS AND DISLOYAL"

: Armed with a warrant signed by the Acting-State Commandant (BrigadierGeneral Williams) officials from tho Intelligence branch of the Federal Defence Department recently visited the Trades Hall and the offices of tho ".Labour Call," in Patrick Street, Melbourne, and seized copies of a pamphlot containing arguments against conscription. This pamphlet reprinted 4 manifesto issued by the national committee appointed by the Inter-Stat* Trades Union Congress which met in. Melbourne recently, and passed resolutions recording the uncompromising hostility of the congress to conscription of life .and labour. The manifesto contained statement alleging that; conscription in practice was made an instrument of working class subjugation. It was asserted by those who had signed tho .manifesto:—. :

"We gather no feeling of security from men who to-day are inouthingi the platitudes of the tra- : ditional foes of Labour,' and who sing harmoniously tho praises of ■ institutions they previously assailed. The vital interests, of trade unionism demand that it bo ready to resist every encroachment, no matter how it approaches; what . language it speaks, or in whatearb it appears."

Senator Pearce authorised the sei»ure. The national committee of thecongress had given an order to the "Labour Call," which is the official organ of tho Trades Hall, for 60,000 copr les of the pamphlet,' aaid 6UOO,were delivered at-the Trades Hall. Fully 2000 were immediately distributed amongst tho members of the affiliated unions, and on the following day tho president of the congress (Mr. C. J. Bennett) and the secretary (Mr. E. J. Holloway) sorted about 4000 Mb parcels ready for .transmission by post to the other 'States. In a statement which Senator Pearce subscquenly made available he confined himself to his reasons for having authorised the seizure of the pamphlet. "I have, called for a report," he said, "but have not yet received it. I understand, however, that the raid was _ in connection with tho seizuro of copies of a leaflet winch was 'submitted to me by tho censors. . That leaflet was issued under tho guise of combating conscription-, but it contained statements which, in my opinion, were seditious and disloyal, and I authorised tho seizure.' I presume- that it was in pursuance of this that , a search was made both at the Trade* Hall and at tho offices of the' Labour, Call.' I am now awaiting a definite report. Of course I do r.ot say that oither place issued the leaflet, but I presumo that the leaflet was connected with the search."