POLITICAL SITUATION

Evening Post, Issue 51, 2 March 1931, Page 9

POLITICAL SITUATION

CAUCUS MAY CLARIFY

SCULLIN AND STATE REBELS

■ (Received 2nd March, 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The political situation to-day can only bo epitomised as uncertain, but tho deliberations of the Federal Labour caucus at Canberra are expected to clarify tho air before the evening. " During the week-end efforts to sink tho differences between the warring sections of the Labour Party were unavailing. The State A.L.P. (Australian' Labour ' Party) executive has . ordered the New South Wales' members of the Federal House to attend the caucus, and as the parties left last evening for the capital a cleavage was distinctly noticeable in the disposition Of the groups.1 It is expected that the caucus will immediately review the attitude of the fivo Now South Wales members supporting th(^ Lang policy, the Assistant Minister, Mr. Beasley, Mr., Eldridge, Mr. Lazzarini, and Senators Dunn and Kac. The Prime Minister is belioved.to be determined not to have Mr. Beasley in the Cabinet, and, besides expelling tho members named from the party, caucus may indicate that all portfolios will be declared vacant and the Ministry ro-formed, in which ease Mr. Theodore's re-inclusion is likely to be opposed. The '"Labour Daily"- regards the impasse as lamentable, but says that it is not the'fault of the electors, who.arc popularly supposed to indicate the policy to be t followed when they endorse that advocated by party candidates. In this case the Federal Ministers have taken the bit in their teeth and urged policies on which Labour supporters were never consulted and the consequent shattering of unity raises a crisis threatening the Government's ' existence. '