All Australian Republic

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1921, Page 1

All Australian Republic

— WHAT THE EXTREMISTS WANT. SYDNEY, March 31. The Victorian Labour Conference alter lively argument, decided to shelve its proposal that the main plank of the Federal Labour Party’s programme lie the creation of an Independent Australian republic. The matter may. be considered settled only until the party meets again. Tliis move is important as being the first definite step in the direction in which aii'inrtuental section of the Labour Party is most anxious to go. The proposal for a republican government has not developed far enough, even in (lie Victorian conference, to command a majority. Still, it is an indication of where the Labour Party is being driven by an element which is hostile to the Empire and which would, if it had the chance, sever the Imperial connexion. This element has an immense influence within the Labour Party. It will not he deterred by one failure or by several. For tlie past week or two it has been glorying in the insult offered to the British flag during the Irish procession on St Patrick’s Day. All that type of activity comes from one quarter the anti-British Irish - and it is powerful enough to lead by the nose some powerful men who are not antiBritish hut who do not seem to realise where they are going.

11l spite of their strong pull, the extremists are still in the minority in the Federal Labour Party. The stigma of tin' resolutions they get passed, how ever, sticks to the Labour Party, ns a whole much to the resentment of the saner Labour members of the Federal Parliament. There is nothing to prevent a man moving what lie likes in a Labour conference, and as such are generally held in secret there is nothing to show tho circumstances in which the resolution was produced and whether or not it was opposed. The extremists at present, are trying to “submarino” Air Tudor, leader of flu' Labour Pally in the Federal Parliament: and Air Dooley, the State Parliamentary leader in New South Wales, who is Acting-Premier. Both are able men of moderate views, and both are regarded by the extremists here as dangerous reactionary. Act both would lie looked upon in Now Zealand which is a long way behind Australia in Labour “development”

as men ol v"rv extreme views indeed