HUNTING "REDS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 285, 2 December 1931, Page 8

HUNTING "REDS."

N.S.W. FARMERS' NEW SPORT.

COMMUNISTS WARNED OFF.

DUCKED TN MUD CREEKS.

(From Oar Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, November 27

Communists have had a torrid time in the country districts of Australia in the past two weeks. Almost every country town in New South Wales where representatives of the Communist party have made their appearance has witnessed unprecedented scenes, when irate townspeople have threatened to mob the Beds.

Bourke, in the far-western district, was the first town to set the fashion. Ten days ago a band of Communist organisers gathered in the town and announced their intention of addressing a meeting in the main street. Before they could accomplish it the townspeople raided their camp, dragged them from their tents,' and forced them to pack up and get out of the town. Only police intervention saved the Communists from bodily harm. The Communists then trekked out into the country, but met with an even worse reception there. Within a few hours they were hunted from each station property by posses of mounted countrymen. . Finally they were surrounded and thrown into a muddy creek, where even cattle had found the water too stagnant to drink.

"Word of their presence in the district was sent to all the surrounding districts, and as the party of Communists went on their homeward way they were met by hostile bands of farmers and settlers, who intimated in unmistakeable manner that they did not want Communists in their district.

In the northern districts at Armidale similar, happenings occurred last Monday night, when a wrathful crowd of 400 rushed round the city and searched boarding houses where it was thought Communists might be staying. Thirty Communists were gathered in and given their inarching orders. Some refused to move, whereupon the crowd took them bodily and dumped them in the railway water dam. Later they were hunted from private property where they had camped on the road south. So threatening did the crowd become that a large party of police was rushed to the 6cene, but they arrived too late to save the Reds from the ducking.

At Wagga, a farmer who had assaulted a school teacher was fined £2. Evidence was given that the school teacher, who is a candidate for municipal honours, made slighting references to a soldiers' memorial at Wagga, and is alleged to have said to the farmer, "Soldiers are only a pack of crawlers paid by the capitalists, and so are you." Blows were struck, it was alleged, by the farmer. It was announced in court that the returned soldiers in the district had subscribed to pay the fine. Other country centres in both New South Wales and Queensland report that Communist agitators are gett&g short shrift. Farmers and settlers in most country districts have been organised to resist attempts to foment trouble among their farm hands, and many farm hands are themselves leading posses against the.Reds.

;Even in Sydney Communist speakers in many districts are being given little latitude in their efforts to address meetings. At Drummoyhe on Wednesday night a speaker -was torn from hisplatform and "was chased through half a mile of streets to the baths., where a large crowd forced him to walk into the water, to be ducked heartily by a party of youths.