YOUTHFUL “RED” ACTIVE IN CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19201, 15 October 1930, Page 7

YOUTHFUL “RED” ACTIVE IN CITY.

EARNEST ATTEMPT TO SPREAD COMMUNISM

Amusement has been caused in trade union circles in Christchurch by the activities of a youthful emissary of the Communist Party of New Zealand who arrived from Wellington a few days ago with the object of establishing a group of “ Reds ** in the city. Full of the enthusiasm of youth, the young mail was not daunted by the fact that similar movements in this city in the past have blossomed for a while and then faded out altogether. He admitted frankly, when questioned this morning, that at present he is the only member of the Christchurch Group Communist Party, which has as its ’rumediate objective the incitement of the shearers and shed hands to a strike against the award rates of pay. “ But,” he added, with enthusiasm, “ there are plenty of sympathisers here, and I expect that before long a strong group will be established.” Surprise For Landlord.

The youth’s Communist leanings and his immediate purpose of launching a strike among the shearers when the shearing season starts, next month, were unknown to the landlord of the property which has been given the distinction of being the headquarters of the' Christchurch Group Community Party. When a question was put to the owner asking what he had to do with the Communist Party, he expressed the greatest surprise, mingled with a good deal of indignation.

“ I don’t know anything about it, but I thought there was something queer, when I saw the young fellow gesticulating and waving his arms about last night,” he said. “ This chap sleeps in a bach at the back of my place, which I have let to another man, who does not occupy it. Last night the young fellow had four or five other men there, and they were behaving like a lot of bally Russians. If that’s the game, I’ll fire the young fool out straight away. I don’t want to have my house branded as the Christchurch address of these Bolsheviks, or it may be blown up some night ” Tolerance of Youth. The man to whom the bach had been let disavowed any personal inclinations towards Communism, and he smiled when the matter was mentioned to him. His attitude seemed to be that the young “ Red ” who was sleeping at the bach was not likely to do anybody any harm, and it did not matter if he did have any wild Communistic notions. He said that he would go and have a chat with the landlord and tell him everything was all right. The young Communist declared that he had not received any subsidy from Russia for the work he is carrying on among the shearers, and, as his financial resources are limited, he has received assistance from the depot conducted by the Organised Unemployed. It was made clear by officials of the depot that theirs was a strictly non-political and non-sectarian organisation, and they disclaimed any intention of assisting in the spread of Communism.

Meanwhile the local officials of the Labour Party and the trade union secretaries are not seriously disturbed as to the possibility of a Red revolution being engineered by the young man with credentials from the relatively insignificant Communist Group in Wellington.