CRITICISM OF MR SEMPLE

Southland Times, Issue 23140, 5 March 1937, Page 7

CRITICISM OF MR SEMPLE

RECENT REMARKS “TYPICAL OF A FASCIST DEMAGOGUE” (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 4. “These frequent outbursts of the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) we consider to be a danger to the unity of Labour’s forces and are typical of a Fascist demagogue,” states a strongly worded resolution carried by the Auckland Builders’, General and Other Labourers’ Union at a meeting last evening. “This union,” the resolution states, “views with concern the utterances of Mr Semple in dictating to workers in Public Works camps the classes of literature they shall lead and discuss in their social halls, and restricting particularly such matter that is of an advanced radical nature. We consider such an attitude to be an attack on the democratic rights of freedom of speech and assembly, one of the basic principles of Labour; further, Mr Semple does not appear to be consistent as he claims for himself the right to use whatever language he chooses in expressing freely his own opinions while at the same time denying that right to the rank and file workers who are the real Labour movement of this country. These frequent outbursts serve, we consider, to be a danger to the unity of Labour’s forces and are typical of a Fascist demagogue. We call upon the Labour movement and the Government to exercise disciplinary measures against any of its members who, by such statements, are bringing discredit and disunity to Labour’s ranks.”