AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1932, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

WEAI) HOPES £

ENMHX HAS DEEPENED

(From "The Post's" Representative^ •:"..' SYDNEY, 81st Deeembes. .Since the Sydney Trades ana Labour Council, as representing the Lang Plan, has smashed the Federal Labour Government and put Mr. E. G. Theodore "out of the way" there have been many discussions as to the future of Labour in Australia. Most political students are- in. general agreement that the Labour Party has dropped back; ten years and that further progress will be impossible unless • Kaity is achieved. As the enmity between the rival faction has been greatiy widened as a result of the elections it is difficult to see how this unity will be brought about.

The defeat of Mr. Theodore is regarded by the Lang faction as a signal victory, for he was their biggest obstacle to their plans for gaining complete control of the Federal Labour Party. Leaders of the Lang Plan party have abandoned their original tactics of attempting to establish branches in other States, and are now advising their supporters to work for their objective from within, the party. The submission of new rules to the Victorian conference of the Ai.P. nest month is regarded as the first move on".-, this' direction./ The Victorian conference will be called upon to decide whether'it will, continue its support for the Federal organisation or swing behind the Lang forces.in New South Wales. If the Victorian 'conference weire to adopt the ne^ rules under ■njhieh the New South Wales party has been functioning; since r 1927, giving contjiol of-the Labour"machine to the unions,;.the .Victorian Labour Party would bo brought into line with, the New .South 'Wares .party and' so Strengthen .Mr. Lang and his men when' the peace moves are made. " LANG- WANTS PEACE. • Followers of Mr. Lang are extremely anxious for peace, foi- they fear that the State Government will suffer a similar defeat to "the Federal Government if it faces the nest State' election with rival Labour candidates in the field. At the same time the Lang supporters are not prepared to jettison1 their militant policy in favour of the less aggressive policy of the Federal Labour Party. . Although, the - defeat: of Mr. Theodore and other prominent supporters has been a crushing set-back to the New South Wales branch of the Federal Labour Party, there has been no indication of the abandonment by the Federal organisation to gain control of the State Labour machine.- The Federal branch is sorely, in need of funds, but it continues to function. Meanwhile a bitter controversy is raging regarding the allocation of preferences in the last election. It is clear now that Federal Labour preferences went to the United Party men rather than to the Lang Labour candidates, and the Lang factionis bitter at this so-called violation of a pact. .'■_ - '

■ While waiting for Victoria to move another interesting situation is-likely to develop' after tlie annual meeting of the ■ Australian Workers' Union, Queensland branch, early next month. A movement is now being engineered in Queensland by the A.W.U. forces, who have all along stood behind the Federal Labour Party, to invite Mr. Theodore to enter Federal politics- again by way of a- safe Queensland seat. This woukl'be a'direct challenge to Laugism, and an. answer to the agitation in Queensland hy New South Wales supporters to undermine the Labour movement there. The cleavage between the forces will be intensified should the socialisation unit affiliated with the New South Wales A.L.P.- gain the upper hand, us is quite likely at the big Easter conference.

To sum up the whole position it can "be said that Labour unity in Australia is most, unlikely for years to come. In Victoria there is little, possibility of anything tangible being achieved until the end is seen of Mr. Lang as a Labour One Victorian ofiicial said that to ask Victoria to link up with Mr, Lang was like asking it to link up with a corpse. It was plain, ho said, that even the people of New South Wales did not want the policy advocated by Mr. Lang. Every other State was overwhelmingly against Mr. Lang. • The Lang Plan was a dead letter..