LOYAL TEACHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 164, 12 July 1940, Page 3

LOYAL TEACHERS.

DEFENCE IN HOUSE.

QUESTION OF COMMUNISM.

" A TERRIBLE STATEMENT."

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

A defence of the loyalty of teachers throughout New Zealand was made by Mr. Boswell (Government, Bay of Islands) in the House of Representatives to-day. He said that attacks were made on teachers from time to time up and down the country. The member for Tauranga, Mr. Doidge (National) was reported to have said that the universities and schools were rotten with Communism and disloyalty. That, declared Mr. Boswell, was a terrible statement to make.

Mr. Boswell also had something to say about Communists, The general who had command of the New Zealand Forces in the last war, said Mr. Boswell, had told him that New Zealand teachers were the best soldiers in the war. Those teachers were teachers in New Zealand to-day —the headmasters and assistants. These men were accused of having schools rotten with Communism and disloyalty. It was incorrect, and that seemed a verv weak term for it. The Speaker, the Hon. W. E. Barnard: It happens to be a Parliamentary term. The statement that had been made, said Mr. Boswell, was cruelly incorrect. Although here and there there might be some perfervid younapter, who talked little but loudly because he was concerned, as everybody had been concerned in their youth, with anything they thought attacked freedom, the whole of the schools of the Dominion had been condemned. People who knew all these things about "the rottenness of the schools," with regard to Communism and ] disloyalty had a patent rtutv. The way | to deal with it was just to report the position to the police, state the case and leave the matter there. Continuing. Mr. Boswell said he had been asked why the Government did not gaol Communists. -The Government had not. There was no reason in this country why people should not be Communists, among whom were many tine people. The Government would respect the beliefs of these people. If they wanted to change our Government, anil proceeded along constitutional lines, nobody would have any objection, but if people took action or spoke words likely to assist the enemy, and to interfere with our war effort, then tliev were subversive, whether they were Communists or belonged to any other political party, or whether they were members of no party.

Mr. Holland (National, C'hristchureh North) asked whether Mr. Boswell contended that there was no reason why a man should not be a Communist. "Yes," replied Mr. Boswell. He added that a Communist could be a very good citizen. Mr. Doidge: Have you ever read the observations of the Minister of Public Works ?

Mr. Boswell said he had, and that he was glad to know that the member for Tauranga had read something, though, of course, he read it in the wrong way and twisted it every time. He added that he thought it would be a good thing if "subversion included

the making of untrue statements alleging disloyalty against perfectly loyal people." Later in the debate Mr. Goosman (National, Waikato) said there was no place in New Zealand for Communists. Mr. Roy (National, Clutha) : They become dictators. Mr. Goosman: We have no room here for dictators either. Brief reference to Mr. Boswell's remarks was made by Mr. Doidge. Mr. Boswell's speech had been an astounding one,' he said, because he had said that Communists should not 'be troubled in New Zealand so long as they were not subversive. Communists were diametrically opposed to the form of government desired by the people of New Zealand and to the ideals for which our soldiers were fighting.