LABOR IN AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1922, Page 7

LABOR IN AUSTRALIA.

DISCUSSION ON BASIC WAGE. THE PARTY’S OBJECTIVE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, June 9. Mr. McGirr returned to his attack on ex-Ministers at the Labor Conference. He said Mr. McTierman introduced legal obstacles against his decision not to gazette the basic wage. Referring to a letter in the possession of Mr. Mutch, signed by Mr. McGirr, to the effect that Mr. Mutch did not favor the gazetting, Mr. McGirr said the letter was typed in Mr. Mutch’s office and sent to him for signature to satisfy doubting voters in Mr. Mutch’s electorate, Mr. McGirr added that it seemed likely at one time the majority of the late Cabinet would effect a coalition with the Opposition. Mr. McTiernan explained that Ministers in the late Cabinet were all opposed to a reduction in wages, but there was a constitutional way of doing things and Mr. McGirr elected to take the headstrong course. ITe proposed to introduce a special Bill preventing a reduction. He was not in favour of the non-gazettal. A committee of five was appointed to inquire into the merits of the dispute. The Labor Conference resumed the discussion of the party objective. The chairman ruled that, by the decision of the Brisbane Conference, the new objective automatically replaced the old objective throughout the Commonwealth until such time as it was varied. He contended that the old objective contained everything the workers wanted. The New South Wales delegates did their best at Brisbane to reject the new objective, feeling that to carry it was not to help the worker, but to provide a whip for their political enemies to flog them with. Several proposals are before the conference aiming at the Brisbane objective.