VIOLENT ATTACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 29 November 1939, Page 14

VIOLENT ATTACK

SUBVERSIVE ACTIONS COMMUNIST AGITATORS MR. SEMPLE EMPHATIC APPEAL TO RAILWA.YMEN (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Communists and all who attempted to undermine the work of the Government were warned by the Minister, of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, and the Minister of Labour, the I-Inn. P. C. Webb, yesterday, that *be Government would take firm measures to deal with efforts of this kind. The Ministers addressed a mass meeting o'f railwayineri at midday in one of the large construction sheds ai tile Otahuhu railway workshops, close on 2000 men being present.

"This is a very critical period in our existence." said Mr. Semple. “We are fighting for the principles our forefathers suffered for, and we wiii not stand for any nonsense from any guttersnjpe or coward. We have to choose between liberty and despotism, and we are asking, in the name of humanity, that every worker shall give of his best for the benefit of hi; country.”

The Minister said he knew there were individuals in the workshops who abused the Government, but they were never better off in their lives, They would assassinate the peopl: who gave them their freedom. Incitement to Workers Mr. Semple then produced a document which, he said, was produced by the Communist Party in Auckland. In it. he said, the workers were incited not to pay their debts, mortgage liabilities, house rents, instalments on furniture and motor cars and other commitments for the period of the

"We have spent £5,000,000 to build decent homes for the workers of the Dominion." continued Mr. Semple, i"and we are committed to another '£5,000,000. The homes we are building are the best in the world. Yet these vultures, who are responsible for this document, will tell their fellow-workers not to pay the Government the rents that are due to it and not to meet their debts. I want to say that those who printed this document have the instincts of burglars and the souls of vipers. They are cowardly and dishonest, and are not fit to live in this or any other free country. You have some of them in these workshops.” A voice: There are a lot here.

The Minister: They are whitelivered. dishonest curs.

Another voice: Well, you believe in free speech. The Minister: Of course I do, but 1 do not believe in individuals trying to teach people to be robbers, burglars and thieves. 1 Knuckle-dusters Needed Mr. Semple said the Government had taken a lot of slander but had now decided to put on knuckledusters. (Applause.) The Government was not going to allow cowardly assassins in the ranks of the workers or in any other section' of the community to sabotage it and to take advantage of the situation created by the war.

"We are determined to steer New Zealand along the road to bring lasting prosperity to the people and to their children when they are gone," he added.

The Minister of Labour, Mr. P. C. Webb, in a dignified speech, said that it was not only the workers who could be accused of going slow. lie knew of some farmers speeding round the country in large, fast cars, crying out that it was impossible to get labour for their farms. The great majority of farmers, however, were working hard, were a help to the Government and were assisting to get the country out of its difficulties. Pledge of Assistance Mr. Webb urged the necessity for keeping up production. At the conclusion of the meeting, the following resolution was carried:—

“That this mass meeting of 1750 workshops employees accords its thanks to and appreciation of the services being rendered by the Ministers in the interests of the Dominion, and, while we have no desire to restrict the liberties of any individuals provided they are exercised in their proper sphere, still we are aware of the fact that there is a disturbing element in the ranks of this community whose activities are detrimental to the Government and to the British Empire. We pledge ourselves, therefore, to assist the Government whole-heartedly in the task of standing behind Britain and her Allies in their light against the enemies of democracy and other promoters of Hitlerism and aggression."