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37 "SQUATTERS" TO KEEP HOMES
Gratitude To ACP
While Victorian Returned Soldiers" league
reactionaries were busy "banning the reds,"
in Sydney ex-Sergeant Jack Wells, MM, leader
of the Australian Communist Party's Housing
Committee, was fighting desperately—and
successfully—to save the homes of 37 people,
including seven ex-Servicemen and their
families.
Ex-Sergeant Wells was able to win cancellation
of the sale of Moore Park "squatters' " huts to have
taken place on Saturday through the Disposals
Commission.
THE "squatters" will now be
able to buy the huts privately
through the Housing Commission's
Servicemen's Loan Department.
These huts will be re-erected on
Crown land made available at Engadine.
"Squatter" Stan Crance, ex-6th Division,
made it clear that red-baiting
doesn't fool most returned men.
Will Join ACP
"I shall always be grateful to the
Communist Party for the help it has
given us—the best way I can repay
that help is to join the Party, and
assist in the good work it is doing,"
he told the Tribune.
"The fight the Communist Party put
up to get us into this place and to
keep a roof over our heads has been
marvellous." he said.
The proposed
sale of the Moore
Park huts was reported
in last Friday's
Tribune, but
after the paper
had gone to press
a delegation hurriedly
called together
by ex-Sergeant
Wells and
Mr. T. Bulmer,
BWIU secretary,
saw NSW Housing
Minister Mr. McGirr and the sale was
stopped.
McGirr's Help
"Mr. McGirr was very sympathetic,"
ex-Sergeant Wells told the Tribune.
"He expressed his willingness to help
us."
"The delegation suggested that the
Moore Park 'squatters' be allowed to
buy the huts at a reasonable price,
and Mr. McGirr readily agreed to this.
"Crown land was suggested for re-
erection of the huts and Mr. McGirr
contacted the Crown Land Office and
was offered land at Terry's Hills.
"It was then explained by Mr. Mc-
Girr that the families were working
people and would need land nearer
the city.
"Land was then offered at Engadine,
which is only. 35 minutes' travel by
electric train from Sydney.
Special Lease
"Mr. Crane, the squatters' representative
on the delegation, agreed to this
and a special lease was arranged.
"Colonel Pike, of the Disposals Commission,
said his department was agreeable
to the huts being withdrawn from
public auction and being sold privately.
"Finance to purchase the huts
was arranged by Mr. McGirr, through
the Housing Commission's Servicemen's
Loan Department.
"The situation was explained to the
Prime Minister's Department and an
official of that branch said that the
department would smooth over any
legal difficulties encountered.
"Labor and transport to have the
huts dismantled, taken to Engadine
and re-erected will be supplied by the
Communist Party Housing Committee."
ACP Houses 130
Ex-Sergeant Wells said that in the
past six months the Communist Party
had helped approximately 130 people
to find homes.
"We put 20 people into Commonwealth
cottages at St. Mary's, 20
people into six cottages at Caringbah,
35 into Maramanah at Kings
Cross, 37 into Moore Park huts, and
we have helped many other individual
cases," he declared.
Commenting on criticism of the
Communist Party's activities in the
housing field, ex-Sergeant Wells said:
"The press blamed us for occupying
houses at Granville which had been
balloted for. That is a lie; we have
never countenanced occupying of
houses won by ballot."
J. Wells Help
J. Wells
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