COMMUNISTS IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25207, 11 June 1947, Page 3

COMMUNISTS IN NEW ZEALAND

PRIME MINISTER’S ATTACK disruptive tactics discussed (PAJ WELLINGTON, June 10. Denouncing trouble-makers and Communists, who, he said, employed tact , ic ?> the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) .told the Labour Party yes T terda y: “We won’t abandon ship. If the choice ever lies ° e /A een car s yin S on and applying discipline or turning our backs on all 2X e ,/ lave achieved and the interesis or the people, then we will apply discipline and we will look to the Labour movement to stand four-square when we face^it.’’ 3POnSibiUty_il ““ an M ho^ aSe f’ wh ,° s P° ke i°r more than st . rongly attacked the Communist Party lor what he described as the disruptive tactics by a small numper designed to advance some sort ?h.. Conimunistic revolution, and said that they themselves admitted their ac S. on ' vas Pofitical and not industrial. Mr Fraser said they were past the I“5 e Propaganda stage in New Zealand and had to fad: up to the realities of economics. The margin of subsiaies was rapidly disappearing he said, and referring to wages, he pointed out that prices overseas had increased enormously because the poor-ly-paid workers were to-day receiving higher wages than they had ever before been paid. “Why do these few people—Commumsts polling a few hundred votes—try to create discontent and resort to direct action?” asked Mr Fraser. “It is because they do not belong to the New Zealand Labour movement. They are not in sympathy with its ideals, and they are not working for the party or the Government. I am not reflecting on them, for they are the first to admit it and to say openly that they are out to cause disruption by making demands and causing all sorts of difficulties for a political purpose.

, Cause of Hold-ups “I don’t speak their language, but I know that hold-ups are caused by them and then used by the Tories. I want you to ponder on this, for it is the same, policy the same people are adopting in every country in the world, including Britain and Australia. . I have no message for those claiming to be of our household but who conspire against us. , " We have a Labour Government in this country and the co-operation between that Government and the Federation of Labour has been as close as it could be. We want that, to continue and the whole movement, industrial and political, to march forward in an unbroken line.’’

The names “blacklegs’’ and “scabs” were not . the prerogative of the troublemakers, said Mr Fraser. They were not sacred nor sacrosanct. If they were hurled .about it was necessary to look and see who were the industrial . “blacklegs” and “scabs,” to see who. they were and to identify them before the people that all might recognise them. • “We are all one and must go forward in line so that all may benefit. We can see one group trying to break that line to secure temporary advantages for themselves at a great cost to their fellows,” said Mr Fraser.

The conference pledged itself to accord all political and industrial support possible to the Government and the Parliamentary Labour Party and to seek industrial harmony. Addresses were given by the Minister of Finance (Mr W Nash), whose remarks were similar to those before the conference of the Federation of Labour last week, and the Minister of Works (Mr R. Semple). The conference was also addressed by the secretary of the Australian Coal Miners’ Federation (Mr G. W. S. Grant).