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fA ap statement in the Victoria Legislative Assembly on July 26, Mr Mullens, MLA, Labour member for Footscray, referred to Communist activities by trade unions. ‘The statement, reprinted from “Hansard,” was published in “The Advocate” of August 2. Whereupon, Mr. Mullens was charleston his statements by certain union re resentatives and the Central ecutive of the ALP was requested to discipline him. The Australian Railways Union in vited Mr. Mullens to debate the matter in the Unity Hall. He accepted, and fixed Septem ber 10 as the date. But the ARU, officials replied that the Unity Hall was not available on that day. Mr. Mullens then engaged the Melbourne Stadium, so that the discussion could be held before the rank and file and he invited the secretary of the ARU, (Mr. J. J. Brown) and Messrs. Sharpley (Munition Workers’ Union), Thomson (Building Trade Federation), and Flanagan — (Ironworkers), who had asked that he be dis ciplined, to be present. At the Stadium on Sunday afternoon, in the presence of more than 6000 people, Mulleny reiterated and ampli fied the statement he made in the Assembly, and denounced the tactics of Communist readers. He spoke for nearly two hours, and his forcible and eloquent address was wormly applauded. There were some interjections, but Mr. Mullens practically silenced the inter jectors with his snappy ro join .The meeting was mainly called by Mr. Mullens to give officials of the Australian Rail ways Union, Building Trades Federation, Ironworkers’ Union, and eel Workers’ Union, an opportunity of suit their protests and challenges and debating the position with him. Telegrams had been sent to them inviting them to attend the meeting, but none of them put in an appearance, and their absence was the subject of caustic comment by Mr. Mul lens and the chairman (Mr. W. Barry, MLA.). ‘Mr. Barry said that Mr. Mul lens had done what few politi cians were prepared to do. He had come before the public and was ready to repeat what he had said under the closh of parliamentary privilege. Fol lowing challenges and protests, Mr. Mullens convened a public meeting, and issued invitations to officials of four unions to be present. Mr. Barry called on Mr. J. J. Brown (sec retary of the Railways Union), Mr. C. Sharpley (assistant sec retary of the ers' Union), Mr. J. Thomson (Oe of the Building Trades’ Federation), and Mr. B. Flanagan (Ironworkers Union) to come forward, and he pro mised that full opportunities would be given them to debate the general position. ‘There was no response, however, to the call, and Mr. Barry, amidst laughter, announced that, doubt less those who man would live to fight another day. Mr. Mullens, who was re ceived with enthusiastic applause, said there had been a prolific fire of words by those voicing protests, but the “secret, silent, contentious — individuals, an excrescence on the body politic, who flourished like parasites,” had not come forward to back to their challenges. He would talk about Communism and de nounce the leaders of the move ment when the Browns, Sharp jeys, Thomsons and Plana, had penned to the oblivion from which they came. He prove every statement he in Parl and the ‘Taege “ad once with full confidence. What an ironical situation it was to see unions that were built. on a solid foundation becoming infiltrated with Communism! It was a to be regretted that Align philosophy was entering ‘unions that should be Aus~ real and through. It ce ever came withe r net out of public life. Communist leaders and Red Union Executives Fail to Appear at Stadium When representatives of the Australian Railways Union, Building Trades Federation, Ironworkers’ Union and Munition Workers’ Union challenged the statements of Mr. Mullens, Labour M.L.A., on Communist activities in trade unions, made in Parliament on July 26, the member for Footscray accepted the challenge and hired the Malbourne Stadium for a debate before the rank and file. Six thousand people gathered on Sunday afternoon to hear the discussion, but the four union representatives failed to appear when their names were called. The Catholic M.P. reaffirmed and amplified his charges against the Communists, and the meeting passed a resolution, demand ing Federal legislation for the control of union elections by Arbitration Court officials, large audience such as that resembled at the Stadium. Their absence that day was due to the fact that they knew full well that they would have to face a large crowd. What men of outstanding courage Com munists were. Their views on the war underwent a vast change only when Russia en tered into the conflict. Com munism lowered the standards of political and industrial life. He ventured to say that the Thorntons did not resent the industrial activities Aus gale The cat and arpleys had no right to put the real Australian attitude be fore the American people. ‘They had the effrontery to criticise, condemn and slander the ac credted representatives of Labour throughout Australia. It was col impudence and sheer effrontery. Communists were indeed birds of rare plumage in the industrial sphere. ‘Unionists should be alive to their own interests and to those of generations to come, and they should see to it that unions should be what they wanted them to be. The devious methods of Communist leaders should be strongly dealt with. He could tell them that it was the aim of the Sharpleys, Browns, Thorntons and of the Com munist Party to control the man power of this country, and he defied contradiction on the point. ‘A Voice: I deny it, Mr. Mullens. You are a lone standard-bearer’ of Communism, and your denial is worth no thing. Why are your trends absent? ‘Mr. Mullens said that Com munists would like to hold a “Moscow trial” on him behind the locked doors of Unity Hall. He preferred to face the public ad put before them the menace of Communism. The member of his audience show I remember the incident that oc curred at Port Kembla, when iron-workers sacked 31 of their own men. ‘These men were en titled to all the privileges of the union, and they were good Australian citizens, but they were wacked because the Thorn tons and the Flanagans wanted it. (Voices; “Shame. ) ‘They out of the bed without fault. Mr. Mullens gave other instances of tyranny on the part of the new unionist forces, which, he stated, disregarded everything that was Christian, decent and Australian. Every thing that should be upheld was submerged at the will and be hest of Jackanapes. ‘The case of the man Wilson, who was ex pelled from the ARU, should act as a warming to Unionists, and make them beware of the new and objectionable union tam. It was a position that should be viewed with lison Unionists should hold their privileges as something very dear and should be loyal sup porters of the bannce of the Australian Labour Party. The bones of the ARU could not be compared with the great Labour pioneers; they had reached it present position because of the support of nit wits, it was truly a polluted atmosphere. Surely it was position to cause them to think children, their heat and homes, and domestic peace .They should see that everything, they held dear was not black ened and beanatched by Com munist methods A united stand should be taken against Communist bosses. ‘They should be against any force that would grind their children in the dust and push then into the gutter, God help them , the economic destinies of the country were ruled by the Communist Party. Surely people with Russian sen timents should not supplant those who were Australian in heart and head. If Labour was to survive and to be a force in the community, then the incu bus of the “Old Man of the Sea should be got rid of. Com munists only supported the ‘Labour card sang rope supported. They all knew, or should know, who killed the Referendum. If Communists got control of the unions it would be the end of Labour as a political force in the community, Australians were free men and should re main free in a free country, and they should see to it that they destroyed the excrescence on the body politic. ‘Their first thing was to get back their freedom as workmen and their Indepen dence of outlook as given to them their Australian for~ bears. First requisite was to subscribe to the political con cepts and ideas that were taken so from the man Wilson, and revive and revitalise their pein Their inspiration should not come from Rusia but from Australia. With them Aus tralia should be first coui ng on earth. Writ com should hold every iz the children, and it was their duty to age to it They did rot want the movement to devel with its horizon on a far country. A Voice; Mr. Brown is a boiler man than you, Mr. Mullens. I am quite ready ya have my pile and private examined, and I think it can compare favourbly with that of Mr. Brown or any other tui. Mr. Mullens said he was a lover of fair play, and won an Australian, sh attended the meeting and faced the public, and those who were so ready with a fire of words were con spicuous by their absence. He had an interest in the railways, and he was game and willing to go to every shop, depot, station and the whole box and dice. The Communist Party worked by stealth, and its organisation bore the marks of rottenness. It stabbed inen back Uke the Gestapo, ‘They should study the new untealing and they would see where it was reading It was a deadly menace, I twas a tragic mistake for any Labourite to be a collaborationist with a member of the Communist Party. They should not build their in dustrial house on shifting sands He appealed to them to beware of those who were ready to stab them treacherously in the dark. ‘They should stand up as Aus tralians and safeguard their rights and privileges, and loyal to this great country, Th Labour Party tee ° great tra dition, and a history, and all frve Australians should be free men and proud and happy to be Australian citizens. Mr. Mullers was downly cheered at the close of his ad dress. At the instance of Mr Mullens, the meeting carried a resolution, to be sent to the Prime Minister, — demanding regisistion to provide: Compul sory unionimary Vot ing at union elections; union elections conducted by indepen dent returning officers, officials of the Arbitration Court; hand~ ing out of ballot papers by ship stewards and other union officials to be prohibited; union elections in have the same safeguards as Federal elections; coats away against officials in litigation over union; elections to be by the officials personally; no worker to be excluded from; the pan cve! covering to occupation political Mr. Barry declared the motion carried with one dissentient. in closing the meeting ‘the chairman said that Mr. Mullery passed publicie what he had said and he gave ome irr for Nie Matements. Different ein had been in vited to the meeting, but they kept away, ‘The people were the real peal ur and Mr. Mullens came em, Mr. Mullenix was a respected member of the Assem bly, by, and was a man of outstand ing ability. (Applause) He thanked the large audience for the entire hearing it had i Mullens, and for i bed manner in, “which had Sted him in his rede of the meeting. (Applause.) MR. MULLENIS, MLA Where were the Communists?
Newspaper Details
Melbourne Advocate
Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Wed, Sep 13, 1944
Page 18
Full Page
Clipped by
Alexander E.
AU 08 Jun 2026
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