Election Clash Now On

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 772, 19 September 1929, Page 9

Election Clash Now On

PARTY EXPELS RENEGADES

Hughes and Marks Fight Alone

ARBITRATION ONLY ISSUE, SAYS BRUCE

('United P.A. —By Telegraph, — Copyright) Received 9.25 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. THE New South Wales National Party executive lias endorsed as candidates all the sitting members of the National Party, with the exception of Mr. W. M. Hughes (N’orth Sydney) and Lieutenant-Commander W. M. Marks (Wentworth), whose nominations were declared informal. They were two of the principal figures in causing the Bruce Government’s defeat.

Mr. Manning, a former member of the House of Representatives, will oppose Lieut.-Commander Marks, who is standing as an Independent Nationalist for Wentworth. The Country Party has endorsed all its sitting members in this State. The Labour Party has decided not to nominate candidates against Mr. Mr. Hughes or Lieut.-Commander Marks. Apart from that, ft is placing what it regards as the strongest Labour team on record in the field, and will contest all but two country seats. Mr. Hughes opened his campaign at Chatstvood last evening. The majority of the members of his large audience were returned soldiers, who gave him an ovation. His speech, like the policy speech of Mr. Stanley Bruce, at Dandenong, was broadcast. "POLITICAL MESSIAH’’ Mr. Hughes described Mr. Bruce as ‘‘a veritable political Messiah.” He claimed that there was a sinister policy behind this move for the abolition of the Federal Arbitration Court. It amounted to an attempt to reduce wages, and so place the workers in the position of having to accept the employers’ terms or starve. A message from Melbourne says the Federal election campaign was opened last evening at Dandenong with a policy speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce. He said there was one issue only—namely, whether the Commonwealth Government should vacate the field of industrial arbitration except in regard to the control of the maritime industries. BRUCE MAKES APPEAL Mr. Bruce appealed to the people to disregard all other issues and all attempts to sidetrack the arbitration one.

Two former referendums seeking to give the Government additional industrial powers had failed. It was equally apparent that the framers of the Constitution had intended that the general regulation of industry should remain in the hands of the State. The defiant attitude of various unions toward aw-ards of the Federal Court of Arbitration was emphasised by the Prime Minister. In this connection, he referred specifically to the timber workers, coal miners, and maritime workers. About 60 or 70 unions which were enjoying the benefits of awards had allowed themselves to be levied for many months in order that strikers might flout the court. DEATH-BLOW TO COURT The death-blow to the Federal Arbitration Court had been struck by extremists, who occupied positions of power and authority in the Labour movement. As a result, the general financial and economic position of the country was causing grave concern. The Government was convinced that only by improved relations and greater co-operation in industry could a solution be found. The system of divided industrial control now in vogue was fatal. The Premiers of all the States had agreed that there was no alternative but that the Commonwealth should vacate the field of industrial regulation, leaving the States to do the work by themselves. Mr. Bruce warned the electors that the defeat of his Government at the election would be hailed by the extremists as an endorsement of their action in crippling industry, and of their right to dictate and intimidate through their political organisations, with the disastrous consequences already well known in this country and in Britain.