LABOUR PARTY SPLIT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20171, 25 February 1931, Page 11

LABOUR PARTY SPLIT.

BY-ELECITOS. : FINANCIAL KL< nw jumocuwok— mtaivd nHßgMlred February 24th 11.80 p.m.) anphfi political turmoil in Australia Kji no signs of abating. It is most nHjjjgnlt even for those well versed in methods to size up the Bit■ft- development in the HMfeyfr the New (South Wales executhe Federal executive of the hM££Uht, Party arising out of the East by-election and Mr Lang's re* ||fp}fp h> play a lone hand with regard was a meeting which was certain New South

MR LANG A DICTATOR?* SEPARATION MOVEMENT IN THE S'TATE. SYDNEY, February 24. Speaking at Grafton, Dr. Barle Page (ex-Federal Treasurer), said Mr J. T. Lang had been malfe dictator of JTew South Wales, and was steadily and ru--lontlfeasly pursuing -a policy of destruction of capital and private assets by taxation that could not be paid out of fngo&e, Every effort wad directed towards Communism and State owner* •bipj ,with repudiation as the coping stone of the work to damage Australia. "If New South Wales refuses to pay her interest instalments," he said, "it automatically breaks away from the Federation. The north won't be content 1 to remain with the repudiations iatSf find therefore must withdraw, and form a new State, as West Virginia did in 1801, when Virginia infringed the constitution and placed herself outside the qnion scheme." The Government he suggested" was a simplified legislature of 15 to 30 members, paid only for sitting days. FEDERAL CABINET Meeting. MR SCULLIN IS RETICENT. MELBOURNE; February 24. After a four hours' Cabinet meeting Mr J, IJ, Scullin (Prime Minister) was reticent. He denied that the Ministry was likely to accede to the demand for a reduction of .public service sal* aries, remarking that suggestions m that direction were more kite-flying. Hie declared that the Cabinet'meeting was ,not an "emergency ope, but was! cafifld Incertly'.ta discuss the financial, situation. He also declined to say Whether Mr, J. - A. Beaslcy (the junior Minister who criticised the Squllin-Theo-dore plan in opening the Bast Sydney by-election , campaign) was invited 'to attend, . ,', , Mr Scullin he had not heard of at circular letter tent t>y the Now South Wales branch of the -Australian Labour .Party, urging State and Federal Labour to support the Lang plan, adding that hb could not say if he would toko action in the si&ttei. It if rumoured that the Government Will agree to the demand for a reduction. of civil servants' salaries and allowances, but will suggest postponing for onq year the'question of a Bill te'ducing old ago, 1 invalid,"and war -pen- '***#*• ' 4 1 ' ,i; ' REPUDIATION POLICY. INIWIHSSir - IN' AUSTRALIA.' VBB6OS POLtTJCIANS. f r' 'T I V* b i / j,\ 1 'oW; oowmwfimiiHT,) ; remarkable speech by Premier oi New south Wales (Mr l Xi{qfg)''at t *Vhe' last conference' of PrejnU& repwdiaeon-teM be-. 'Anstralia, -be iadicast look to followers to «ti? ti, £. the com; I^lrS isßss 1 » fow^mSmitos sihwtil5 i hwtili e MCtIon oWn Commutiihti. ts fjven reported jitcft-'the Laboqr which the meetv ■■. l -v .' * ■«s', tHyWto* verged on . a of Bitny mfln, some of whom became quito w^i-J#wn J ; Communist, .wound <■= Jumped

hewatfcarrfed *>y. *ou* ' police constable* the ,opposition, the" object of the meeting--to protest against the repudiation proposals that "had been pjit forward TSy the ;Premier— aeKievfcdL-wlien the motion"watfVarrled on a show of Muds by an. overwhelming majority '"The manfeer in, iyhich the;people are rallying '<o the <*AU for'. Australia" , League' it regarded as one of the healthiest in New Sooth td* : day,, j _ , ( 1 SYDNEY by-election. "U l * f<t -f n AL iW'i'i'fhi* * i * J*. h . A..; (mom pmf o'w* co»»»o*M»fe.)"" r SftDNßt, February 19,.' ' 10batfgh th« federal by-election in 'jEaeil, Syfpiey,, is .threevVwHiK '<&., ter6st "ih njit is,» already, at"feverj"beat mainly . because the preliminary ,'eVir-; .tnisbpg has shown that .Labour;?# alteresting' development, was' we decis'jqPol thkSt&te, Iralfto wbout-A Party vaMpaigQ should !>©< fought on the financial* policy of the .S&te premier (Mr :&itngpa', t>olipy interpreted, jn, toost "quiaiters as one of reputation, sent joy into the hearts of the Natwna'to** shorten a, strong candidate, <Mr hj, T. Courtenay), a man of ■ integrity, preyed ' * and 'honeaty of purport, a to*, *pocjbnA«B' iand/a .gflod-natured speaker. ' < r . Seeing ,'the danger to Jfo LohMur eause * meeting -of' the; F^derplA^.P. was hurriedly oftlled* and that'body,' noted/for.its, weakness, decidedrtpat th© ; State - executive, bad overstepped the" mark: Jftf , federal;* by-election, it was held, could ,be l fought on a Premier's policy* The Federal, polnay t must be supreme, and, that meant that .there should' be tio talki-bf repudiation. \ The, Slatted tujrn, saidc that it was not in the for ffen of the thing. It was serious), so serious that it offered ■ personal'" affis&tft fo the Prime Miftifl 4 . ter (34> SculUn) by assistant Minister' (J&Ht *b , noted extremist, to'optfn the Labour campaign, The* jTedetal Executive' decided that' thfe improper, and that Mr Scullin iftottld Bkye the honour of,outlining LabaUnpfliey, Again the ,Btaito* ;laugh«d—-and Mr !'EK&aW opened; rtjie ?■ eattipaign • - J , last - r. u " H Hopes. These XiabouV and' discus*, sion? are-playipg, jso much-into the hatodfj:- ;of -tbe vtbat the J4atj6,nal|?ts aotually nave hopes now of ginning- thificlrttbour labour'stronghold for neavly-20 Theii 1 'vij&tofcy in;'this by-eleotion would hftvi" far .grater; siKuifioanoe than the ■ win, Ap ;J?^rke». n .few' weeks' ago, ando ^ , Jth e, jdeiinltely: that it .would > haw to mend- its ways pr olat jof ofl|co;,/ , . Every weak jSew 'a, definite wideninFC- ef the Labour breach, and it is , ean .go .on for C,nluob without, reaching a.As each climax haa.approaehed bas, gjtven The w SquU|U 4 JBntprfaiitg. weakness < which < amount;, -o£< ridicule'. It u'questionable whether they .cani%6fc sfop for- mach longer, A ' .general, eleotionrVitbin ' si*" , molntlr *'■ ,V