COMMUNISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1920, Page 1

COMMUNISM.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. “the times” service. RAISING ITS HEAD. LONDON, Dee. 27. The “Times” special .correspondent in declaring that C.ommnnionjsn! is raising its' head amongst the unemployed in Britain, says that the Pf) 1 !)' munist societies followed up the Moscow dictum that the faithful must earn fitness for affiliating, by undertaking revolutionary propaganda ip the arnjjy He says the British army was lately fully recruited from a magnificent stream of sturdy ex-soldiers and communist societies, whose membership is now six thousand, and draws attention to the fact that demobilised men are making great efforts to capture their organisations. Their principal association, the National Union of Ex-soldiers, popularly called “mix,” seems at present largely in communists’ hands. It teaches the convention of Marxism and has draw 11 up a long programme demanding national ownership of land and capital and popular control of industry. Many agitators, even conscientious objectors, secured affiliation with the union as associates and leading such movements as the seizure of houses, baths and hulls. The correspondent does not comment but points out that the Union has 480 branches and an estimated membership of

100,000. The Labour correspondent says the new vear may be ma-ked with important developments and Amalgamations in the Labour World. First will be the establishment of a general council replacing the parliamentary committee of the trades union congress. This council will consist of thirty members, representing seventeen trades and five nub-committees, representing groups of allied industries, with a strong full-time secretarmt. Administration expenses Wt" he IJoJWd per year. The duties of the council are to match industrial movements, coordinate where possible industrial action, promote common action, settle disputes, promote propaganda An.d industrial relations between unions. Ihe membership is now six millions. Secondly a ballot is proceeding for tbe amalgamation of the four grea.

general workers’ and municipal employees’ unions with a membership of thr’eo millions, which will he the largest single union in the world. Thirdly nineteen unions connected with dock, waterside, road and transport work are amalgamating and hav a membership of half a million. Fourthly, the engineering and shipbuilding trades amalgamation will have a membership of 460,000. ' Fifthv the warehouse unions an co-operative employees are amalgamating and will have a membership ot

200,000. , , Sixthly, the printing, bookbinding, and paper workers are amalgamating and will have a membership of 100,000.