KEEPING THE PEACE

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 15 February 1930, Page 5

KEEPING THE PEACE

SOUTH AFRICAN UNREST ORGANISED COMMUNISM RIOTOUS ASSEMBLIES BILL. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.^ CAPETOWN, Feb. 13. The Assembly appeared unimpressed by the Minister of Justice’s second reading speech on the Riotous Assemblies Dill, giving the Minister power to prohibit public gatherings in order to prevent engendering hostility between Europeans and other sections. The necessity for the Bill arose out of the Communist- leader’s speech in the Supreme Court contending that the doctrines lie espoused and preached were bona fide. The Minister announced that the Berlin Internationale had despatched a notorious agitator to organise Communism in South Africa, and since October, 1928, the Internationale had sent funds, though the Government had failed to trace the amounts or the method of transmission. An offshoot of the League against Imperialism had sent money to cover the expenses of two delegates to the conference of the Frankfurt Workers’ Internationale, which was connected with the infamous Five Atheist Campaign and had three known branches in South Africa. The Minister read the recent Internationale instructions advocating a general strike of natives and the non-payment of taxes. The unemployment demonstration on March 6, characterising recent events, was the danger signal. The Minister stressed a warning that if once the Europeans got out of hand and lynch law was introduced, our lifetime would never see it expunged.

He announced an amendment excluding European trade unionists from the operation of the Act as far as the advocacy of the trade union movement went, and also reputable newspapers from the clause against propaganda. Opposition Labour is pressing recognition of the supremacy of the courts before referring the Bill to a select committee.