AUSTRALIAN CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1931, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN CRISIS

NEW STATES IN N.S. WALES. (Australian Press Association) SYDNEY, March 1. Plans to form a new State, to bo named Now England, and to set upji Provisional Government, should Premier Lang default, were approved by a convention held at Armidal t > yesterday. Some members of the Federal and State legislatures were among those participating. There was a suggestion to hold a referendum before giving the Provisional Executive a free hand, ft had I few supporters. The meeting affirmed loyalty to tile King and the Commonwealth. The mover of this resolution was Mr Drummond, a member of the N.S.AV. Assembly. He said this was to counter any suggestion that the now State movement was a disloyal conspiracy. The decisions are regarded as a personal triumph for Dr. Earle Page- (of th<s Country Parliamentary Party). In the course of" a vigorus speech ho declared that if the countrys’ assets that were secured with loans were not reproductive, it was not the' fault of those who lent Australia the money, but of rotten governments that Australia had had. RIVERINA FARMERS. Talk of independence.

SYDNEY, March 1. Eight thousand fanners from all quarters of the Rivorina district met at Wagga, and unanimously resolved that unless the Federal and State Gov. ernments take' steps before March 31st to secure a drastic reduction in Government costs and to give relief to the primary and secondary industries, a referendum will be taken on the Rivcrina district’s right- to control its own affairs, and, if necessary, to secede from the Federation.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Charles Hardy, the leader of this movement for reform, said:—“lf by telling the people the truth I am guilty of sedition, and if Mr Lang proposes to prose, cute then, prosecute and be damned! ” He said that many Dinners vere “broke”, but added tlia't Riverina men would never stand for repudiation All they wanted was justice and relief from unfair burdens of higher costs, squeezing them against the nether millstone of reduced income. The Government was to blame, he said, because it was divided into cliques whose intrigues gave rise to various ideas of finance, each more fantastic than the other. STRIKE MOVE CONDEMNED. MINER’S PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT. (Received this day at noon.) SYDNEY, Match 2. A Speaking at tlis aggregate meetings of northern miners, the general president of the Minors 'Federation. Mr Rees, strongly opposed the proposals for a general strike. He said though the seamen might e-ome .out, there is no chance of getting,, railway and tramway workers to stop work. SCULLJN AND INFLATION. HIS OPPOSITION TO IT. CANBERRA, March 2. Mr J. H. Scullm stated a very grave dis-service is being done to the Nation both here and abroad bv those people, who mainly for political reasons, declare that the proposal, submitted by the Commonwealth Government to the Conference of Commonwealth State Ministers in Melbourne this week for the fiduciary issue of currency, is the beginning of a policy of wild inflation. The evils due to inflation arise when inflation causes prices to soar and when this in turn seriously impairs the purchasing power of wages and destroys the value of fixed investments. The Government is determined that while it remains in office the course shall not be pursued.

COMMONWEALTH CRISIS. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 1. The “ Observer ” emphasises the baselessness of the charge that the British press is unfair to Australia, and points out the comments i were sympathetic, but never minimised the gravity of the Commonwealth's, crisis and the political aspects of the thr.eevear plan and the hazardous situation, of drift. While a dissolution threatens, only a National government formed without a general election can give the Commonwealth the essential policy of courage to work out an economic h ],ope based on an indominable effort of \ the people, with the continent at its ' back, and the whole world before-it.

POLITICAL SITUATION. (Received this day at 1.0 p.ra.l SYDNEY, March 2, { The political situation to-day can only lie epitomised as uncertain hut the deliberations of the federal labour caucus at Canberra expected to clarify the air before the evening. During the week-end, efforts to sink the differences between warring sections of the Labourites has been unavailing in the State. 'Hie A.L.P. Executive has ordered the New South Wales members of the Federal House to attend a caucus and ns the parties v ijvst evening for the Capital a cleavage is distinctly noticeable in the 1 disposition of the groups. Tt, is ex- } needed the Caucus will immediately ro- '' new the attitude of five N.S.W. mein])ers supporting.the Lang no)icy. Assistant Minister, Mr Beasley, Messrs *

Eldridge, Lazzarini and Senators Dunn and Rae.

The Prime Minister says:—He believed it was determined not to have Ur Beasley in thy Cabinet and besides expelling the members named from, the party, the caucus may indicate all the portfolios to be declared vacant and the Ministry reformed in which case AL Theodore roineliision is likelv to he opposed. Labour daily regards the impasse as lamentable, but says it is not the fault of the electors, who are popularly supposed to indicate the policy to be followed when they endorse that advocated by the partv nilidates. In this case the Federal Ministers have, taken the bit in them teeth and urged politics, upon which r. si hour supporters were never consulted. and the consennence shattering of •mitv which raises the crisis threatening the Government’s existence.