LEFT WING

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1940, Page 6

LEFT WING

OF LABOUR PARTY. (Per P.ress Association —Copyright). CHRISTCHURCH, May 20. In a private house at St.- Albans on Saturday ( an organisation was arranged as a preliminary to the formation. in Christchurch of a branch lof the Democratic Labour 'Party. Many of the 40 who met Mr J; A. Lee, ALP., >vere prominent and active members of the Labour Party, from which their resignations are expected to be made without delay. The meeting was discreetly arranged, invitations stating only tlie purpose, the place, and the. hour being posted to those whose Left Wing views were known to tlie organiser. Although neither Mr Lee nor his keenest sup- . porters' would at that stage announce the names of the committee set up to organise a later and larger meeting of friends and supporters, it is understood that those present included men and woinen who are known within the Labour Party as the “intelligentsia group” and “activists.” Tlie purpose of tlie meeting, Mr Lee said before he returned to Wellington on Saturday night, was to enable him to meet a large and enthusiastic group of supporters of tlie Hon. W. E. Barnard arid himself who wore anxious to arrange a public' meeting at which a branch of the Democratic Labour Party could he founded. Although barely a month had gone by since the first branch of the new psrtv was formed in Grey Lynn, already about a dozen branches were in the process of formation. Successful public meetings had been held in the two halls at Auckland, Wellington and Te Awainutu, and a strong branch had been formed in Petone. It was hoped to hold a meeting of friends and supporters in Dunedin on the day preceding or following the Christchurch meeting. Probably Mr Barnard, Mrs Lee and lie would speak at the meetings and, after branches were formed in the South Island, public meetings would he held in Christchurch and Dunedin. “Tlie new movement is assured of a successful start and I was delighted with the friendliness of those with whom I came in contact in Christchurch,” lie said. “Democratic Labour will come to stay. I am not prepared to disclose the names of the conveners of the initial meeting, hut I can assure you that a large number of v ell-known Labour persons will be found in the list in due course. And they are not in the fight to avoid Air R. A. Brooks’ threats of expulsion. They are Labour people in search of democratic control. “Now that the honouring of pledges is the major heresy, tlie loyalists ol 1935 and 1933 will soon all be outside,” Air Lee added.