THREE LABOUR PARTIES

Southland Times, Issue 24234, 18 September 1940, Page 10

THREE LABOUR PARTIES

NEW SOUTH WALES STRIFE

FEDERAL ELECTION HANDICAP

ADELAIDE, September 4. Criticism by the Federal Labour leader, Mr J. Curtin,' of the LangBeasley and Hughes-Evans -parties has encouraged the opinion in Labour circles in Melbourne and Adelaide that the official party must concentrate on the elimination of those factions at the Federal election.

This view is based on the feeling that the party cannot hope for political success as long as divisions confuse the supporters of the party. Commenting today on the policy of Mr J. R. Hughes, leader of the Australian Labour Party (State of New South Wales), Mr Curtin said that the Hughes-Evans Party would have the Australian Labour Party behave in Australia as the equivalent of the Hertzog element in South Africa. “Our answer is decisive,” said Mr Curtin. “We will not do it, because we are inflexibly loyal to the British cause.” In both Melbourne and Adelaide Labour circles it is hoped that no.stone will be left unturned to ensure the destruction of both the Lang-Beasley and the Hughes-Evans parties. Labour spokesmen say that Dr Evatt, the former judge of the High Court, who is the official Labour candidate for Barton, could do a service by urging Labour supporters in New South Wales to support only the official movement and to treat the other Labour parties as political enemies, even in the allocation of preferences. Those who advise this course contend that the factional influences in the movement have done the greatest disservice to the official Labour Party’s drive for office. WIDER BREACH EXPECTED When Mr Curtin arrives in Sydney, he may touch on the factional strife. In the meantime, it is expected that the wide gap between the official Labour movement and the parties led by Mr Beasley and Mr Hughes will widen, particularly if the official Labour Party’s campaign against Mr Gander for Reid, Mr Rosevear for Dailey, and Mr Mulcahy for Lang is intensified in the next two weeks.

. The defeat of Mr Beasley would also be welcomed by those in the movement who think that a Labour Government is essential, but that the party cannot hope to reach the Treasury benches if the task of the leader is made difficult by the “disloyal tactics of factions.” That is the view of Labour members who have striven for more than 10 years to bring about lasting unity in the Labour Party. Before Mr Curtin left Adelaide for Melbourne today, he said that he had found in the political and industrial activities of the Labour Party in South Australia an enthusiasm that presaged a successful election campaign. The prospects of the Labour Party winning non-Labour seats in the House of Representatives were brighter than for two elections, and the Labour Senate team must impress the electors. One of the keenest fights in South Australia is in Wakefield, which a supporter of the present Government, the late Mr Hawker, held for years. Mr S. McHugh won the seat at the byelection two years ago. His opponent is Mr J. G. Duncan-Hughes, a former Senator, and a supporter of the Menzies Government.