Party
Although Ted Hill snd His pro=-Peking allies were not expelled at the Victoria State Cotrmniat Party Conferenco, further stops were taken along the path of isolnting hin. The usual fiction of firn but comredcly critisism that sives the dissentor the opportunity to re-catablish hinself was still r-intnined, but tho savage blows, that thet either drive dovintionists from the party or foree them to huniliate thensclves with separate’ confessions or thoir crrors, will continuc until the proecas is cotiplete. State Seerctary Frank Johnson, who.tried to kcep 2 foot in both carps, was noned ns a pro=-Hill mon and removed from position. His placo Waa taken “Ralph Gibson o long-tine €.P. intellcetunl, waunlly active in front orgenisations, took over. It ig widely bolicved that this is only *% cnrétcler job and that ofter he hos held the job long onough to weld the org-nidatio sotion, togother again, Bernice Taft will tnke over the job.
Tho decision not to oxpel Hill ot this stooge enme na o surprise to somes The nationnl leaders probably thought thnt his supportors are too numerous ond not surfficiontly isolnted just yet without causing . injor split. among his supportera are itiportant trade union leaders ag well os C.P. functionnricas; the loss of tho former would be especially scrious.s The Hill fnstion openly distributed cditorials fron Peking papors at the conforence.
Tho pro~Chinese tendency is not confined to Victorin but it is only there that it dares roneh open and ogercessive forma. Not so long long ogo the Central Committee of the Austrclinn Connunist Party abolished the N.S.W. State Conmittce ond started to opernta directly through Digtrict Committees = the main one being the Sydney Motropo= Liton Comittee. It has béon suggested that this wns done to prevent a ibe base for the pro-Chincse fnction in tho N.5.W. State Comnittee
Onc of the nést intcresting aspect of the Confcronee wos the aratt Resolution, which in 15 closcly-typed foolsceap sheets spelt out the present lino of the Commmnist Party of Avstralia with special reference to Victorias It started with an cppenl for unity:
"Conforence calls wpon all members to carry out the Party Linc, to snfoguard party unity and uphold democratic centralisn which have becn under attack by a small group in the Victorian Party Organisation. It reaffirned tho lendership by tho Sovict Unions nnd onstignted the line adopted by the Chincss ag "“advonturist, doguntig’and Loft Sectarian." Put while it attacked Hill and his adherents, it carefully worded rofcrences to China and Russia in ordor to give lenst offcnee to rank and file morbers who had supported Hill
The resolution baldly stated thet Feaceful Co-exiatenot as envis= aged by Khrushchov is a teotic in the fight for socialism, ond concluded: "Conference decides to do more to populnrise the Sovict Union." There wns 2 long haranguc urging oa United Front with the A-L.P. and oxprossing concern that sore lendine rent: rs in the Victo= rion A-eL-P. wore changing their sympnathctiec attitude towards the Communist Party. The resolution enlled for incrensed industrinl struggko. One of the last itens was on ottnek on the Bulletin - but not ou% publication = an Australian renetionary publication. —
ron. Melbourne correspondent.