COMMUNIST CONTROL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17607, 9 November 1922, Page 4

COMMUNIST CONTROL.

AUSTRALIAN J.ABOUR MENACED. (FROil OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, November 1The menace of communist control of the labour organisations of Australia has long been feared, and definite charges have now been made by a committee of enquiry that has had every opportunity of pi'uoing the matter to its depths. The disclosures have been made By the social study section of the Congregational Union, which declares that the Trades and Labour Council is definitely committed to Bolshevism, and its members are Bolshevik agents within this State. The committee's discovery was made through its desire to asoertain whether there was any insuperable difficulty in the form of antagonistic and irreconcilable principles, which would prevent an understanding by Church workers with the representatives of Labour, on a basis of which united action might be taken for the common welfare. The main point made clear in a discussionwitJi representatives of the Trades and Labour Council was that the Labour movement, as these men understood it, was purely au economic movement. Thfir attitude towards religion was that it was a process of evolution, destined to be outgrown. If the right economic state was attained there would no longer be any noed for religion. If religion would pass out quietly without any fuss their attitude would ue one of benevolent tolerance. If not, they would hasten its exit with violence proportionate to its resistance. The committee came to the conclusion that these men represented only the communistic section. They had captured tlie official position, but did not speak for Labour as a whole. The Trades and Labour Council was now definitely committed to Bolshevism, and its members were Bolshevik agents within New South Wales. That the rank and file of the unions recognises .the danger has been demonstrated in connexion with trouble that has occurred in the iron trades. The State's biggest iron works hove inst, been closed owing to a strike, fomented by the Council of .Action, and finalised by the Trades Hall Iron Trades Oroun. The moulders have officially repudiated the Council of Action, and special meetings of other craft organisations are being called with a view of following in the footsteps of the moulders by breaking away from the influence of the Council of Action. The latter body has also been rebuffed by the State executive of the Australian Labour Party, which lias refused to confer with it.