Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954), Wednesday 23 August 1944, page 2


MISS LEWIS

Miss Freda Lewis To Address Meetings

After completing a tour of West Australia and South Australia speak-ing on behalf of the "Yes" vote at the Referendum, Miss Freda Lewis arrived in Broken Hill yesterday.

Miss Lewis, who is a well-known speaker of the Communist party in Sydney, will address meetings here on the policy of the party for the winning of the war and the post-war period. She will address party meet-ings, will probably speak over 2BH, and will, if possible, address workers at the Annexe, the Housewives' Asso-ciation, and speak at the Don Corner on Saturday morning.

Recently Mr. J. M. Ryan, secretary of the Mt. Gambier branch of the Labor party, paid a tribute to Miss Lewis' ability as a public speaker. She has addressed three or four meetings a day since leaving Sydney some weeks ago.

In most country towns she has visited she was the first woman Com-munist speaker to appear on a public platform, and was well received in Labor circles in W.A. and S.A., and addressed meetings organised by branches of the party.

She spoke on the same platform as Mr. Richards, leader of the Opposi-tion in S.A.

Miss Lewis, whose married name is Mrs. Brown, has been a member of the Communist party since she was 17. Her husband is a member of the forces.

She was formerly secretary of the New Theatre League which produced many anti-Fascist plays in Sydney.