New Zealand Censors the IWW (1915) On this day in 1915, during World War I, the New Zealand government banned all Industrial Workers of the World literature

New Zealand Censors the IWW (1915)

Mon Sep 20, 1915

Image: The IWW logo

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On this day in 1915, during World War I, the New Zealand government banned all Industrial Workers of the World literature. IWW members were subject to arrests and surveillance for years following the conclusion of the War.

On September 20th, 1915, the government prohibited the "importation into New Zealand of the newspapers called Direct Action and Solidarity, and all other printed matter published by or on behalf of the society known as 'The Industrial Workers of the World'."

According to author Jared Davidson, Direct Action was "a lively newspaper published by the Australian IWW that found its way to New Zealand via seamen crossing the Tasman, or by mail."

In the following years, members of the IWW, labor activists, and political radicals such as Charles Johnson, Philip Josephs, and William Bell were imprisoned. Surveillance of the IWW continued for several years after the conclusion of World War I.

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• Date: 1915-09-20
• Learn More: libcom.org, libcom.org.
• Tags: #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org