GROWTH OF RED RULE

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 266, 5 August 1932, Page 2

GROWTH OF RED RULE

Communism in Queensland SOWING THE POISON News of the association of the Communists with the unemployed riots near Cairns will not Come as a surprise to those who have watched the growth of Communism In the northern State of recent years (writes “A Unionist” in the “Sydney Morning Herald”). The Communists have made greater progress in Queensland- than in any Other State, of the Commonwealth. For this, most of the blame can be laid at the door of the Queensland Labour Party, which has been lamentably lacking in couiage'for years to either adopt their Red brethren outright or to drive them out of the State. The official attitude of the Labour Party throughout has been one of laissez-faire. As eyewash for the electors they have, on occasions, melodramaticaly thrown the CommtHiists out of the Brisbane Trades Hall when the elections have been approaching, and then closed one eye while the Communists re-entered the building by a rear entrance after polling day. The Communists have not been slow to take the fullest advantage of this weak-kneed policy. They have been helped in the record reign which the Labour Party enjoyed prior to the election of the Moore(Government. During the Moore regime they were more or.less silent. With the reelection of the Labour Government they have once more come out into the open and have virtually challenged the Government to interfere With them. Thorough Organisation. The organisation of the Communists in Queensland has been thorough and • complete. They have paid particular attention to ' large centres such iis Townsville and Cairns, which are further north from Brisbane than: Sydney is from the Queensland capital. Apart from the vacillating policy of its Labour Governments, Queensland has lent itself to Communist organisation, because of its decentralisation. There are no fewer than five towns with populations larger than any country town in New South Wales outside of Newcastle. Their average . distance from,the hen:., of Government is more■ than 300 miles. These./> towns are Townsville (population 26,000), Toowoomba - (25,000),; .Rockhampton (30,000), Gyiriple (20,000), and Ipswich (26,000).- What happy hunting grounds, what-fields in which to sbw the seeds of unrest’and disaffection.

For the last ten years, disturbances have regularly occurred in Queensland, which have been traced to; Communist influence. Most of these' disorders have taken place in northern Queensland. There was, for instance, the disastrous State-wide railway strike which paralysed the transport system. On the authority of the then Queensland Labour Premier (Mr. McCormack), GO Communists from Sydney visited the northern State in special cars and openly encouraged the strikers to remain on strike. One of the leaders was Mr. G. W, Rymer,’ who is an-ex-Moscow delegate.) For years Mr. Rymer remained a . member of the Queensland'Labour Party until be refused to sign tile ahti-Cdmmunist pledge and was expelled. ■_ The day following the outbreak of the railway strike n cablegram was received in Brisbane from Soviet headquarters: in Moscow, promising financial support. Firearms for Strikers.

A labourer, giving evidence before an inquiry at Innisfail into the shooting of a picket, said that some' time before the shooting the strikers had-been given firearms. The Minister of Railways frankly admitted at the tittle that the strike had been brought - about “by Communists inside and outside the railway service.” Only a little over 12 months ago during May Day celebrations at Jnnisfnll (about 50 miles from Cairns) ample evidence was forthcoming with regard to'Communist activities among the foreigners, and unemployed. Tens of thousands of leaflets, it was reported. which openly-incited revolution and which were printed in both the Italian and English we.re‘distributed freely. Foreigners wore Red rosettes in the demonstrations and some foreigners drove scarlet festooned motor-cars and trade displays. About 4 years ago the writer attended a Communist carnival in .the Brisbane Trades Hall. The ballroom W tilled to overflowing. 'There lie saw young Australian Communists of both sexeA intermingled with foreigners who spoke English with difficulty. Revolutionary banners and flags adorned the walls. National dances of Russia were

given., at which the Australian Communists. displayed surprising proficiency. Some of the dancers were attired in garments typifying “the emancipated Russian peasants.” The gathering concluded with the singing of the Red Flag. And all this under the benign rule of a Labour Government.