ACTIONS ENDORSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26731, 29 March 1948, Page 5

ACTIONS ENDORSED

MISSING AUSTRALIAN COMMUNIST APPROVAL BY PARTY N.Z.P.A.—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. SYDNEY, Mar. 28. The missing Communist, E. J. Rowe, who has been convicted of contempt of court, and who is being sought by the police, will give himself up to the police when ready to do so,- according to Mr R. Dixon, secretary of the Communist Party. Mr Dixon added that the party was in complete agreement with the action taken by Rowe. Addressing the Easter conference of his party, Mr J. T. Lang accused the Chifley Government of becoming a tool of the Communist Party. “True Labour suporters have found themselves' leaderless in their day-to-day struggle,” he said. “The Chifley Government not only appeases the Communists, but also permits them to occupy strategic positions from which they could wreck this country's economy in time of war.” In Melbourne last night shouted threats and struggles for the microphone interrupted the Victorian Labour Party conference. In a general uproar, the conference carried a motion denouncing the Communist Party and its activities. Meanwhile, in Brisbane, the employers will attempt to use free labour on the wharves in Queensland ports to break the waterside workers’ strike. The Joint Committee of Waterside Employers decided to ask the Commonwealth Stevedoring Industry Commission in Sydney to allow them to use free labour.

The employers believe that if the commission grants the request there will be more applicants than jobs. They plan to begin on Wednesday loading and unloading all ships tied up in Queensland ports. The Queensland waterside workers have been illegally on strike in sympathy with the railwaymen for 25 days. Shipments of primary products worth about £10,000,000 are held up in Queensland.