CONTEMPT OF COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 141, 27 March 1948, Page 5

CONTEMPT OF COURT

Police Search for Communist QUEENSLAND STRIKE LEADER \ , (N.Z.P.A.— Copyrlf?btl. BRISBANE, March 26. The police have begun a Com-momvealth-Avide search for a leading member of the Communist Party, EdAvard Joseph RoAve, AVho yesterday Avas sentenced to imprisonment lor contempt of Court by tampering with ballot papers. Rowe, Avho is one of the men behind the Queensland rail and port strike, left North Brisbane ill a car after receiving a summons to appear before the Court. Yesterday the Court, in his absence, fined him £6O, with £3l costs, and ordered him to be imprisoned until the fine Avas paid, “and until further orders.” RoAve is a member of the Federal council of the Amalgamated Engineering Union and of the central committee of the Communist Party. He arrived in Brisbane soon after the strike began early in February to adt as general advisor to the disputes committee, and in the last six weeks lias addressed many meetings of strikers After - allegations about, the destruction of Industrial Court ballot papers, he Avas served Avitli a summons. Since then, the police have begun a search of Queensland roads, airports, and rail: Avay stations, and have extended their inquiries to NeAv v South Wales and Victoria. It is thought that Rowe, who has not been seen since Wednesday evening, is heading for his home State, Victoria. If he i*s found in the southern State, proceedings will be taken under the Commonwealth Act for his extraditiou to Queensland to serve his sentence. Unionists’ Allegations The allegations against RoAve, made by a number of unionists in the Industrial Court, Avere that he ordered the destruction of 25 ballot papers during a meeting in the Trades Hall. The paper* had been issued by the Industrial Court to members of the Amalgamated Engineering Union employed in the Shell Company’s oil depot at BoA\ r en Hills, to determine whether the men' should return to work.

The president of the Court (Mr Justice Matthews) ordered the hearing to proceed in RoAve’s absence. The Industrial Registrar (Mr P. J. Wallace) said he posted ballot papers to 48 men, but received only 23 back. Of these, 20 favoured a return to work. J. H. Bagster, a fitter, said on a subpoena that he attended a meeting of Shell Company employees on March 22, at which Rowe was chairman. Say ing that the ballot with AVithout union authority, and that the only kind Avhicli Avould count Avould be a ballot of the entire division, RoAve opened a packet on his table and took out ballot papers. Rowe said: “I will destroy them. If I burn them' here, I might burn down the Trades Hall.” Later, he said he Avould deal Avith the papers at a mass meeting.

At a later mass meeting, witness heard Rowe say: “I have some ballot papers here, and I propose to deal with them in the working man’s manner.” He then called on “Comrade Grayson” to dispose of tly?m. Grayson stepped forward and tore the papers in halves After hearing other evidence, Mr Justice Matthews said that Rowe had been guilty of very gross contempt of Court. He ordered that Rowe should be committed to the Brisbane Gaol “until he shall have purged his contempt or until further notice.”