MR CHIVERS AND COMMUNISTS

Grey River Argus, 19 November 1946, Page 2

MR CHIVERS AND COMMUNISTS

(To the Editor) Sir, —It has been brought to our notice that Mr F. Chivers, National Party Candidate for Westland, is reported to have said during his speech at Runanga:—“When I give my final address at Greymouth I will “reopen the question—l say that Communists do hold a lot of key positions in Unions and Labour Representation Committees, and these are the statements I am asked to substantiate.” If Mr Chivers will take the trouble to persue our challenge afresh, he will see that the Communists a'o not hold any positio'n at all on Labour Representation Committees. For all we know, they ' may hold key positions in Unions, and as Unions are non-political, they are no concern of ours. Our point is that Communists are not entitled to membership of the Labour Party, and do not hold any positions., as they are a separate political organisation. Communists, Nationalists and Labour Party members' are all eligible for membership in Unions, and we can recall that Mr G. Gillespie, the local chairman of the National Party was in recent years president of a union i'n Canterbury In other parts of New Zealand well known Nationalists hold prominent positions in unions, and they are entitled to do so along with anyone else if the members elect them. It is interesting to note that Mr Chivers is waiting until two nights before the election to deal with this question. In our opinion, he is running away as he gives no opportunity for a reply to a'ny assertions he may make, be they truthful or otherwise. PRESS COMMITTEE, WESTLAND L.R.C.