The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1932. SERIOUS MENACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1932. SERIOUS MENACE.

From time to time there are reports of the activities of the Communists in various centres’. The party has a number of adherents in New Zealand, and the public read of their activities-from time to time., Occasionally these folk appear at the polls, but it- is usual to smile at the result, when—it ie announced that the Communist candidate has forfeited his deposit 1 Jtm actually it is not- a smiling matter, The Communists} may not hove a great foothold in this Dominion, but they are persistent in the advocacy of their faith, and it is not too much to believe that they do make-v some converts. Probably in other countries, they had a beginning equally as insignificant as in New Zealand, but tlie records show they are making their way, and as they grow' *n strength they become something of a serious menace. In the Mother State of Australia they. are very plain and hold in their verbal outpourings. A Sydney paper referring to the matter about a fortnight ago, said: “The Soviet element took charge of the Metropolitan- A.UP. (State Labour) Conference, when delegates decided unanimously to discuss the Payne report, which advocates revolution to overthrow the capitalistic class, and the setting up of a working class dictatorship in N.S'.W. The Conference decided to instruct the Premier, Mr Lang, to lift immediately the Is in the £ tax from the basic wage earner. Soviet supporters at the conference are gaining strength, and unless the moderate group can gather sufficient forces to out-number them, it is likely that A.L.P. will become Sovietised. When the conference decided to hear Mr Tom Payne, ex-Communist, the delegates cheered him. There was a wild stamp ing of feet and clapping from the gallery, which was packed with Conn munists.” Mr Payne was not at all half-hearted in what he had to say. He said he stood for revolution to overthrow the capitalistic class and to bring about' a working class dictatorship. Naturally a section of the Sydney press became very outspoken as a result of this outburst. The “Telegraph.’’ for instance, made a great attack on the New South Wales labour movement,- by repeating what it --aid during the progress of the late Federal elections, namely: “That the majority of the officials behind the political Labour movement of this State were sympathisers with and partisans of the Russian Revolution, and all that BolshevVm stands for."

The paper points out that for far too long, A'.ifdr.lia has glos.'od over rev'utinnnry statements by Red agi Inters, and it was tim® the true import was renlii-ed. Tin* l.ahour party, at heart, •me.s ml desi'-e to be ruled |,v fanatical and vieotis counsels such as emanate from the (.Vinninnistie section, but till they are repudiated, they are a menace no! nulv to labour, hut al.o la tb'- const it nti'Mi itself. There is a call for saner ecnnsels in labour eir les. Tn New South Wales the Feder: 1 Government, has before it (rtie task o' dealing with Communism, and legislation ; to be brought dawn. That fact emphasises the menace oi the creed which lias for its purpo-e the uprooting of society, and the bringing in /of a reign of terror. New

Zealand might well take note of the trend of events in Australia and adept measures which will save their country from any of the dire effects of Communism.