STRONG MEASURES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 50, 28 August 1934, Page 11

STRONG MEASURES

COMMUNIST ACTIVITY

A.S.R.S. DECISIONS

. .The Amalgamated Society of Railway •Servants, the largest (-rado union in the railway service, and probnbly possessing the greatest membership of any singlo organisation of its kind in the Dominion, proposes to take strong action in respect to Communist activity, says the "Christchurcli Times." At a recent meeting of its national executive, some ' printed statements considered to bo detrimental to the interests of the A.S.E.S. came undor notice, and it was' resolved that, if the author was found to bo a member of the society, steps would bo taken for his expulsion. The executive also resolved: "That continuation of Communistic activities by members calculated to injure the union, and indiscriminate use of the society's name for propaganda purposes other than those directly affecting the A.S.R.S. in the widest sense, will be severely dealt with.-"

Some of the reasons which actuated

the A.S.R.S. executive in its decisions are explained in the society's official journal, which suggests that tho move-

ment for one big union in tho railway service had been utilised by Communists to forward their own plans.

MEN "CLEVERLY USED."

"One or two significant incidents have occurred lately which put a new

romplexion on

what most of us

thought was a perfectly innocent, well- * intentioned movement to form one big

union o£ railway employoes," comments the journal. "More complete information in our possession suggests

vr:ry strongly 'that the proportion of ruilwayrnen who sincerely believed that this form of organisation. is_ best liavo been cleverly used by cunning— wo will not say intelligent—people outpido the railway service as a moans of disintegrating the existing trade union organisations, as one step nearer 'the revolution.' "

The reasons why railwaymon 's organ-

isation3 failed to reach agreement on a policy which would have made one ' union possible for the whole service are ' explained by the "Eailway Review," ' which goes on to say: "This decision ' having been reached, placing the 'one •' big union''in the discard, people who i'iit moro than railwaymen would like ■ to see old and well-tried organisations disappear have been forced into tho upen with caustic comment over the : fpilure to achieve (heir objective. Wo are now told that there is only one way out. Militant railwaymen must bo • organised for the fight. Everything has failed them so far, including the Labour * Party, and; —here we reach tho inside '" of tiio mystery —our men are advised, '■Why tolerate this system when tho 1.'.5.5.8. has solved the problem?' "