AUCKLAND MEETING

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1940, Page 3

AUCKLAND MEETING

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS’ PROTEST

[PER PBESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, February IL

In the face of organised though obviously unofficial opposition from about 100 soldiers and sailors, an attempt by Communists and others to repeat their weekly anti-war meeting in Quay Street this afternoon was frustrated. The only speaker who attempted to address the crowd of about 3000. was overwhelmed in a rush in which a banner was torn to shreds. Calico strips from the banner were used by soldiers ■to decorate their hats. Both police and soldiers 'suffered bruises in the rushes and melees that prevented the speeches. Most of the crowd was present to watch trouble rather than to cause it, and as the Communist front was overborne very early in the proceedings, ! excitement rather than bad feeling distinguished the rushes, which were almost invariably aimless, ending as suddenly as- they began. In several spirited scrimmages, in which there appeared to be no “beg pardons,” the police, soldiers and sailors jested together as they struggled. These encounters always ended in cheers by the dishevelled soldiers and sailors for the police. As much by their good humour and jests as by their weighty and scientifically packed wedges that always split any rush, the police restrained the •crowds.

CIVIL SERVANT’S ADDRESS

HASTINGS, February 10

The Waipawa and District Returned Soldiers’ Association unanimously passed a resolution expressing disapproval of an address given at -Napier by Dr. A. Reifer, plant research expert employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (Hon. W. E. Barnard) presided at a meeting- of the Napier branch of the Labour Party, when Dr. Reifer, who is a Pole and a Doctor of Science of Brunn University, gave an .address. The resolution reads: “This association deplores the fact that Dr. Reifer, a civil servant, should be permitted to give public talks which, in the .opinion of this association, are definitely, detrimental to the Government recruiting campaign, and regrets that Mr. Barnard, . a returned soldier, should be giving Dr. Reifer apparent support.” .... The association further resolved that the . attention of the Minister for Agriculture (Hon. W. Lee Martin) be drawn to Dr. Reifer’s activities.