COMMUNISTS"

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1930, Page 6

COMMUNISTS"

ACTIVITIES IN SYDNEY. . ....

'; • 1 j } §II|nEY, July 31. Times of offer all sorts or opportunities to jdtiiiihrunists, and they have been particularly active in Sydney during the last .month or so. They have fostered strikes, particularly the ill-fated strike last Week of men wno were engaged on relief work, they have' intimidated workmen, they have .led the unemployed into all sorts of scrapes which have done, 'no good. Now, this week, they descended upon a vacant* house in one of .-the suburbs 'close xo the city and wrecked it. Tlnjy'bi:pljei 'down(loops, slmi!e|ed windows, . down ‘lights and a gas-stove. > | '.‘vlifllpy 1 , .The,raid was -&i|’st|ie nature prisai organised jby .ithe feficp,..Ariiiy, a lifilirliediy Lommuni|St3f3 agaiiist landlords in gep-E ,er:|l,., and -pa. t.ih|lar!y against a lariU-| joiflEwho.- bad ipc-ted an unemployed , n.ij..3iciaMiW“- behind wtiii|liis_ rent.,, -.yn JiMondstyf iporiiing the ootu- K jnunists.Jxela a meeting, and a calif war' made for. twenty ..“comrades” front tlioE, Workers xinny to raid the house. There was a big response to the call for house-wreckers and nearly forty men went out on their audacious mission. The raiders wrought great havoc in a remarkably brief time, and then rushed a tram back to the city. Neighbours did not realise the seriousness of what was happening, until it was all over. It was not until after the .raiding party was well on their way back to the city that the police were informed of what had happened.

The police were greatly hampered in their enquiries, but they soon bad reason to suspect the Communists. For that reason they . decided to raid the Communist Hall in the city just as tea was being served. They quietly mounted the narrow stairway leading to the hall, and made a. sudden entrance. As soon as the police entered a powerfullybuilt man sprang over a dining-table and rushed them. Sergeant Coombes was foiled and then, several constables were flung to the floor. A few women who were in the hall screamed, and one of them fainted. The others urged their comrades to stand their ground. Within a few seconds of their arrival the police found themselves surrounded by about GO excited men and women. 'Some were fighting, some were preparing to fight, and others were hurling abuse at the police. Finally the police were given permission to use their batons. The batons bad a sobering effect on the crowd. They fell bad? a step and were about to continue the fight when one of the women called, “Take it