EVIDENCE OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN NEW ZEALAND

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14858, 21 December 1948, Page 3

EVIDENCE OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN NEW ZEALAND

Irade Union Movement" Used" To Further Aims And Objects 01 Psrly

MR NASH REVEALS EXAMPLE OF WORLD-WIDE TECHNIQUE OF SINISTER FORCES

/p A.) Wellington, December 20. “The Government has viewed for some time past with growing concern attempts by members of the Communist Party improperly to seize on industrial disputes and to use the machinery of the trade union movement to further the aims and objects of the Communist Party, states the ActingPrime Minister, Mr Nash, in a statement issued yesterday. “Although the Government has been aware of these activities it is not always in a position to prove conclusively a specific example thereof. . “Such an example has, however, now been put before me in connection with the recent controversy in connection with rates of pay and conditions in the Public Service. From time to time publicity has been given to meetings held by various groups in the Public Service in connection with this controversy. I now have evidence that at least some of these meetings were engineered by members of the Communist Party who succeeded in making use of at least one cf the officers of the association in connection therewith.

“The following letter, the language of which speaks for itself, has come into my hands: — Thursday morning. . . , Jack ... I am calling the stop work meeting at the studios for 3.30 p.m. Friday, ostensibly for half an hour, but it will quite easi’ly • drift through to 4.30 which is knock-off time. You and Griffin and Dick Scott will be present. The “pulsing up” wil be entirely over to you. At the end of it a fiery, but on the line, resolution will be passed. In your flow of chatter I suggest a line like this: — (1) Butter the b s up a bit . . . remind them of their previous , . . sucessful —struggle of a couple of years back, of how they have even been able to help other groups in the P.S. because of their strong stand (viz. the N.Z. 8.5.) and so on.—Make them feel The Assn. Looks After Them! (2) Outline the nature of the strugg’e, to date, in general and, I needn’t add. most forceful terms . , . the emphasis on the salaries campaign rather than the tribunal though this latter is of course a large part of the story as it leads into the . . .

That we, the workers, in the Govt, film studios at this stopwork meeting held in defiance of the commission’s ban. declare that the Government, by its refusal to accept the recommendations of the margins & anomalies emtee has stabbed us and all other public servants in the back.' We observe with contempt the Govt’s attempt to square off this treachery by trying to legislate us into a hopelessly fettered Tribunal, and support the national executive in its determination to have nothing to do with such a tribunal. We demand that the findings of the margin’s emtee be immediately implemented, and that the Executive co-operate with all sister organisations in demanding a general increase in basic salaries of £35, with appropriate rating up of all other salaries. That we resolve that if the Commission takes any steps to victimise members for participating in this meeting, we hold another stop-work meeting to decide upon appropriate direct action. Other Councils Prevail “Although the letter written by Mr Cecil Holmes referred to the meeting being called for 3.30 p.m., ‘ostensibly for half an hour but could quite easily drift through to 4.30 which is knocking off time,’ apparently other counsels prevailed and the meeting was actually held in the workers’ lunch period. It is, however, significant that Mr Holmes contemplated having a

(3) . . .attack on the government . . . most people out here vote labour of course but they are all anarchists at heart and don’t give a hoot in hell for anything in particular . . .but . . . with no exceptions . . • they heartily hate the administration. You can rub it in as hard as you like.

(4) Relate the whole how-do-you-do to the people you’re talking to . . . they feel, and naturally, a bit cut off from the main stream of events but they’re interested, not unintelligent, and they will respond to a strong lead. Resolution To Be Put

After you’ve wound up this resolution will be put and carried (unanimously):— “That, we, the workers in the Government FHm Studios: —

(a) Express the opinion that the government has broken faith with the Public Service Association in having put forward the Government Services Tribunal Bill, which is quite inadequate, and in fact an insult to Public Servants.

(b) Demand that the findings of the Margins and Anomalies Committee be implemented forwith. (c) Demand that a general-all-round increase in basic salaries of 35 pounds p.a. be made, and other salaries levelled up accordingly with due regard to margins of skill and experiencce.” This resolution is a bit rough round the edges, but maybe all the better for that.

Cecil H. Cecil Holmes I will arrange for you to be picked up " + 3.10 pm. “The writer of the letter, Mr Cecil Holmes, who is an employee of the National Film Unit, is a member of the Communist Party. His membership card, with other material was put before me. It will be noted that the letter is addressed to one “Jack.” There can be no doubt that “Jack” is Mr J. P. Lewin who is the president of the Public Service Association. Actually I have had handed to me, together with the above letter, hand-written draft resolutions to be submitted to the meeting referred to in the letter. Those draft resolutions are in the handwriting of Mr Lewin, who did in fact address the meeting held by employees of the National Film Unit. The following are the draft resolutions in question:—

meeting during working hours and that Mr Lewin in his draft resolutions expressly referred to the proposed meeting being in definace of the commission’s ban. “It is known that in addition to writing the letter Mr Holmes also sent a number of telegrams to Public Servants in various parts of the country to prompt action on their nart.

“So far as concerns the facts of this particular case, I have handed the documents which I have quoted to the Public Service Commission and requested it to conduct such inquiry in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Act as it may consider necessary. “I feel it is of paramount importance that Communist activities as indicated in the above quoted letter should be made known to the whole community and particularly to those interested in the welfare of the Trade Union movement so that they may be on their guard against being made the tools and dupes of persons working for an ulterior purpose or with a sinister motive.

“The technique indicated in the letter which I have quoted is one used by the Communist Party in many parts of the world. Such a technique, however, if not revealed and adequately dealt with, not only threatens the welfare of the trade union movement but may imperil the whole structure of the State.”