THE COMMONWEALTH.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17112, 6 April 1921, Page 7

THE COMMONWEALTH.

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR PARTY. (By Cable—Press Association —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, April 5. The election of the Australian Labour Party's executive resulted in the return of eighteen nominees of the Australian Workers' Union, and fifteen of the Government. • (Received April sth, 10.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 5. The Labour Conference resolved that the Chief Secretary be ordered to immediately appoint women Justices of the Peace. ' , It also decided that the inter-State 'Executive Committee ihould prosecute a world-wide- campaign for disarmament by getting into touch with all the pacificist groups in other countries, in order to devise common action for the total abolition of military preparation.

FEDERAL POLITICS. MELBOURNE, April 5. Mr Fowler, who was elected as an Independent Nationalist for Perth against a Ministerialist, has issued' a circular to tho leaders, of tho three Federal parties.intimating his intention of giving notice on Wednesday,.that, in order to i*rminate the wasteful and inefficient administration, it is necessary to discharge the present Ministry from office. He added that he would "be absent from the National Caucus as a preliminary step. ' ■_ • ■ 'Cabinet Ministers, interviewed, stated they were not perturbed.

MOSSVALE MUBDER TRIAL. SYDNEY, Aprilo. The trial has commenced of Major la Barte,' Who is' charged with murdering "his wife at Mosevale. He entered a plea of "not guilty." In a statement from the dock ne declared he had no recollection of committing the tragedy or of the details or it. Ho knew, after hearing the evidence, that he must have killed his wife and Constable Mitchell, but had no remembrance of doing so. In losing his wife he lost the person dearest to him in the world: He'would not wilfully have done.her or Constable Mitchell any harm. . The evidence was generally similar to that at the inquest, and showed that the accused had been drinking heavily, and was drunk at the time of [A double tragedy occurred at Mossvale in December. Since his return from the war, Major la Barte had suffered from pains in the head, and was strange in his manner. After- shooting his wife in the presence of her maid, be telephoned the police and informed them of the. tragedy. When they arrived he opened- ~.-e upon them, and shot Constable Mitchell dead. Reinforcements surrounded the house, but were kept at bay by la Barte's fusulade. Eventuallv a constable managed to effect an entrance while la Barte was watching the other police, and, escaping two shots discharged at him as he closed, he managed to overpower la Barte after a'despefate struggle.] (Received April sth, 10.10 p.m.) " SYDNEY, April 5/ Major la Barte was found guilty of manslaughter of hh wife, and was remanded for sentence.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTtONa

• (Received April sth, 7.25 p.m.) ADELAIDE, April o. . The general elections will be held next Saturday. The issues are very mixed. There are four straight-out parties—Liberal, Labour, Progressives, and Farmers—besides a number of independents in the field. There appears a probability of the Liberals being returned with sufficient direct backing to enable them to carry on.

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR. (Received April sth, 7.2 - p.m.) SYDNEY, April 5. The Very Rev. Joseph Herman Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire, has arrived. He is visiting the Dominions in the interests of the Jewish "War Memorial movement, • which aims at raising £1,000,000. He sails for New Zealand on May sth.