Red Tape

The Massachusetts Commission to Study and Investigate Communism began in 1953. Lately, it has been doing next to nothing, and the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts is asking that it be discontinued, since it is unnecessary, "of dubious legality," and expensive to maintain.

The case for removing this organization is very strong. F.B.I. investigation and the supremacy of Federal law in treating subversives renders the Commission's role relatively unimportant, except for the questionable practice of listing each year all persons considered subversive by the Commission. Recently, this policy was changed from mandatory listing to permissive listing, thus preventing accused persons from condemnation without judicial trial.

But, as the CLU points out, Communist membership has gone down in the last few years, and, of those alleged subversives subpoenaed by the Commission, many have refused to appear and were not punished. In short, the Commission's excuse for existence seems to have disappeared. House Bill 2757, to revive and continue the Commission, appeared on the calendar yesterday for a second reading. Hopefully, it will be voted down in the near future.