N.Z. LABOUR PARTY'S EXCLUSION OF COMMUNISTS.

Grey River Argus, 22 November 1939, Page 2

N.Z. LABOUR PARTY'S EXCLUSION OF COMMUNISTS.

[To The Editor]. Sir.—May I be permitted through your columns to protest against the “Standard” publishing replies addressed to me, and making it appear that I wrote letters to which the replies were relevant. It is true that I did write two letters to the “Standard,” and that they were refused publication, but the subject matter was quite different to that indicated in the replies. There was nothing in my letters about Communists joining the Labour Party. My first letter was in reference to an editorial in which it was advocated that there should be a purge of Labour Party membership. I formed the opinion that the editor was in favour of expulsion of members who were pro-Soviet or lukewarm in their antipathy to Communists. I asked the editor to confirm or deny this impression. He did not do so. Instead, he cited the decisions of Easter Conferences in respect to the affiliation of Communists to the Labour Party. Opinions on Russia are matters of private judgment, just as much so as is religion, and as such have never been the subject of Easter | Conference decisions. I am, etc. J. W. PATTERSON. Runanga, November 20, 1939.