l'HE struggle to control the -11. Sheffield district of the Amalgamated Engineering Union has intensified once again as election time approaches. Last year, Mr. Ted Law, a Socialist. defeated Mr. Herbert Howarth in the election for the post of district president, to the intense disappointment of Communists in the Union.
Now the Communists are making an all-nut effort to defeat Mr. Law in this month's elections. The district secretary. Mr. Harold Lily alt. who is a Communist. last week gave instructions that the ballots should be taken at once. although nominations were only revealed on Tuesday last week.
This was despite the fact that he had had the nominations for several weeks and had refused to disclose them even to leading officials Mr. Law, himself did not know.
It is thought that the reason for the delay was to enable the Communists to make arrangements for their supporters to attend in strength branch meetings at which the elections take place. At the week-end a preponderance of Mr. Howarth's supporters were found to be attending meetings where voting was taking place in branches the secretaries of which had not been given time to notify all their members.
Other branches did not vote, knowing that the voting papers do not have to reach the district secretary before the end of the month.
One branch official commented: "The Communists clearly hoped that they would be able to get a snap vote for their nian. We did not fall for it because we knew the Reds were up to some dodge.
"The secretary knows perfectly well that all branches will have at least one more meeting night before the votes have to go in. and that will give time to notify the rank and file members.'