PRIVATE ERNEST DURACK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 149, 13 March 1918, Page 5

PRIVATE ERNEST DURACK

EX-LABOUR'LEADER WITH A.I.F. Mr. Ernest Durack, ex-M.L.A. for Bathurst, and for a few months leader of the State Parliamentary Labour Party, has reached London, but as a meulbor of the A.I.F. (states the Sydney "Telegraph"). Mi-, wuraok, always' a strong advooato of voluntaryism, en- - listed several months ago, and wont into camp at Newcastle as a private. With the satno reticence which characterised him with regard to his dramatically sudden resignation from the leadership of the Labour Party, he informed only the members of his family that he had joined the A.1.F., and it was only a few dayß ago, when a cablegram oame through notifying his arrival in London, that his local friends became aware ho had become a soldier.

Why he resigned from tho leadership of tho Labour Party, and decided not to re-contest the Bathurst seat, is still a mystery. It had been arranged that, following upon Mr. Hoi man's i policy speech at Gundagai in February, 1917, that he should come to Bathurst to open the campaign on behalf of the Labour Party. On the evening of the day fixed upon, however, he wired Ms resignation as leader, to the party secretary, from a city, branch telegraph office, and a day or two later- notified tho P.L.L. executive, also by wire, that ho would not again be a candidate for the Bathurst seat. He gave no explanation of his action then, nor has ho done so yet. Private Durack is popular tlirouglv ! out tho electorate, and had he chosen lie could have been member for Bathurst to-day. His erstwhile supporters wish him a successful military career and a safo return to Australia. '