FEDERAL POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1931, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS

MR LANG'S CLAIM. (Australian Press Association.) IS TONEY. April 0. Premier Lang annmimos the Government of New South Wales is increasing the food relief grants by twenty-live per cent. He declares this State is stronger linaiie.ally than at. any time during the past two years. “That State is miles ahead of „ny other Committee of the Australian Labour Army.” He submitted to the. State Labour Conference si heme for battalions divisions and brigades of the Labour Army. That all members of working class he eligible for membership upon payment of a fee. A delegate interjected—- “How many lewis guns will that foe buy.” The scheme was adopted. It was decided to boycott till the employers who support the “All For Australia I.e, gue.”

NEW YORK OPINION

NEW YORK, April 5

.New York “'rimes,” in a leader ' Australia thinks twice,” states in the strained domestic situation beween the Commonwealth and New South Wales it is strongly suspected the ter is not so savage as it might appear. One may conjecture that miltant Lang is pleased at heart that there is ji Seullin to permit him the luxury of a gesture of defiilileO, without incurring the risk of untoward consequences, Would New Honth Wales actually have ventured to refuse to pay interest on her bonds in the hands off British owners if she did not know the Common wealth would interject and assume the repudiated obligation. Beyond that bang must have know n as it now appears that the central Government has the means of reimbursing it_ self. Actually it may he said nl the present situation in Australia that compared with the outlook ol a few months ago it is distinctly reassuring. Outweighing the gesture ol one State in dishonouring obligations is the decisive manner in which the Federal Government has spoken out and acted. On the other side to-day there is no question where Seullin stands.

WATERED DOWN, SYDNEY. April 7. The Easter Labour Conference of State delegates to-da.v by Go to 35 revoked its decision of last night, adopting the. three year plan for the socialisation of industry. The Conference watered down the plan of socialisation to provide merely for propagation of the aims and ideals cabled yesterday. Labour Members o >- Parliament will be invited “to exert their energies towards accomplishment of socialisation.” One delegate declared the plan adopted yesterday was impracticable and would plunge the country into civil war.

Another delegate, in a fiery speech, said he was prepared to give his hlood for the cause. Their slogan should bo Sinn Fein. Still another claimed tho Socialisation Committee had neither brains, understanding, nor inclination to plan a practicable scheme of social revolution,

MR SCULLIN’S SPEECH

MELBOURNE. April G

The Prime Minister in a speech at the Victoria Labour Conference declared the Ministry would appeal to the

people if tlie Fiduciary Bill was rejected by the Senate. The announcement was received with applause. Mr Seullin. added—“ New uprisings are occurring in all parts of Australia witli the idea of stirring the imagination of the people, but Labour is in the happy position of not having to search for the name, and to defeat it. There are all sorts of combinations some, not yet named, are necessary. It is remarkable so many financial geniuses can he found since tho country turned out the Bruce Government, and Labour had assumed offee. The country had become full of financial saviours.’’ SOCIA LISA TJON PL AN. SYDNEY. April G. Newspapers warn the public what they may expect from the Labour Conference’s Socialisation Plan, which was adopted after a full debate yesterday by 57 to 44. Tlie Sunday Morning “Herald'’ says The gauntlets are now thrown down and Communism naked and unshamed. has flung its defiance in the face of the State and Empire and neither Parliament nor the public shall count. The call then, is for co-operation to combat tills urgent and emergent evil. Australians must declare emphatically that they will not have it. Tlie “Telegraph” in an editorial expresses the opinion that some people will he alarmed at the Socialisation Plan .ami others will morelv lie amused, but there i« a section, adds the “Telegraph,” which will be gratified. This section, which has nothing to lose, is the stuff of which revolutions are made. The plan aims at doing things the Moscow way. It has the Premier as spokesman and he thus declared liimsoli definitely on the side of the Reds.