COMMUNISTIC MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 9

COMMUNISTIC MENACE

,1 ■ ♦ ' " A PERIL TO DEMOCRACY^ CHALLENGE TO EXTREMISTS'* FIRM STAND BY MR. BRUCE.. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright* A, and N.Z. MELBOURNE. Sept. 16. Tho Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. S. M. Bruce, speaking at Brunswick yes- , ten!ay, said that be wished to amplify the remarks regarding the communist io .•menace that he made a few nights since at Dandenong, the principal centre of' his electorate. Mr. Bruce emphasised his conviction that the overwhelming mass of peoplo in Australia believed that the wide, enlightened franchise ensured the safety of constitutional and democratic government, and if they believed they were menaced, would mete out swift and certain justice to those by whom they were being attacked. Although it was not noticed by the average citizen, said Mr. Bruce, there were serious grounds fop apprehension that their industrial system was in peril, and even tho whole system of constitutional and democratic government and the maintenance of law and order were in jeopardy. Air. Bruce then reviewed the rise of trade unionism and tho adoption of the industrial arbitration system, stating that the result was ( that trade unionism had become a part of Australia's national life, being of vital interest to the whole Commonwealth. Under this system unionism had so prospered that it numbered in its ranks in Australia 700,000 members compared with 55,000 in 1891. Threatened Dictatorship, Formerly unionism played a useful v. part in national Ufa and helped to pro-' mote industrial peace. Latterly, however, continued the Prime Minister, tho control of trade unionism had tended to pass into the hands of extremists, who seized on these organisations as ready weapons to enable thorn to cany out their expressed intention of causing* social revolution. The efforts of these extremists, stated the Prime Minister, had been so successful that they had the spectacle of trade unionism beiug used for the purpose of establishing a dictatorship over the whole nation, with the object of destroying democratic government. They had seen government brought to heel and compelled to parley with and grant all demanded by those who were defying the law by threats of upheaval throughout the country. They had seen tho State Governments brazenly abrogating tho primary function of the Government of maintaining law and order, by threats of the same character. The great hulk of trade unionists, said the speaker, were entirely unsympathetic with these actions, yet because of tho strangle-liold a few extremists had obtained over their movements they were powerless to prevent what was being done. Reference to the Soviet. Mr.', Bruce ' then quoted a bulletin issued from the office of tho Communist Party at Brisbane, which was the official centre of the trades union movement in Queensland, in whichk. «it was stated;, inter s alia, '' If you can paralyso industry, by folding yonr arms, why use arbitration? Make every industrial fight a class issue. The working class of Soviet Russia owns tho industries. We can. do the same when we decide that capitalism must go." Instructions issued from the same source aftor the recent railway stated Mr. Bruce, ordered men to go back to rwork, with the intention of keeping .the strikp tJpirit alive; . Mr. Bruce concluded: "Democracy canwot submit ,to the . action and spirit of such as these, and. speaking as head of the ; Government, vre refuse to permit any section to abrogate to itself the power to enforce ita will upon the whole people against theijf consent. The Government is determined to fight the Com-' munißfc and extremist movement with all the means at its disposal." ■ A' report of 'the speech delivered by Mr.) Bruce at Dandenong' was published on page 15 of yesterday's issue of the Heraj,d. LABOUR PARTY'S REPLY. SPEECH BY FEDERAL LEADER. ' "NO TIME FOR REVOLUTION."' Australian and N.Z, Gable Association. (Reed. 7.15 p.m.) MELBOUISRE, Sept. 19, In' a speech at Dandenong Mr. Charlton, Leader of the Federal Opposition, in replying to Mr. Bruce'ii recent statements regarding the shipping strike, said that the Labour Party had no time for those 'who talked revolution. The party had gone through the fiery furnace of politics and had sought to obtain the consent of a majority of the pe'ople to give effect to its ideals in a constitutional manned Those who slandered the Labour Party by making it appear that it stood for revolution, said Mr, Charlton, were doing a great injustice to a vast nuri)ber of Australian people. He denied Mr, Brace's allegation that Mr. Garden, .. leader of the Communist Party of New South Wales, was one of the leaders of the Labour Party. Mr. Garden's Communist group opposed Labour at the last election and was defeated because the workers wished to return members ori whom they could depend to vote in a constitutional manner. Mr. Charlton declared that Mr. Bruce desired a big strike for political, reasons, and had consequently refrained from taking steps which would have averted such a strike. The Opposition, he added, was prepared to go to the country immediately. ■■' . ■