PREPARED TO FIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1939, Page 7

PREPARED TO FIGHT

DECLARATION BV FEDERAL PREMIER CHALLENGE TO AN EARLY ELECTION. NATIONAL REGISTER ISSUE. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. PERTH, July 12. The Prime Minister, Air .Menzies, indicated upon his arrival al F’erlli that he was prepared to lake up the challenge and fight an election on the issue of whether the law relating to the national register should be obeyed or whether one section of the community should he permitted to flout it. Air Alenzies was referring to the Australian (’oiincil of Trades Unions’ decision reaffirming its boycott of the register plan.

Mr Menzies added that the register was intended to furnish information enabling tne Government to allot each volunteer in time of crisis the class of work for which he was best fitted. The question of conscription was not involved. The Minister of Customs, Mr Lawrence, who is also visiting Perth, declared: “Ultimately I think Australia will develop into an Empire arsenal in the Pacific for supply to the British Dominions and Colonies and friendly Powers. In the meanwhile Australia is resperately engaged in filling her own requirements of armaments and munitions.” Press representatives in Canberra predict a lightning election by September 9. A double dissolution would not be sought. Those well informed claim that wide-spread sabotage of the national register would compel the Prime Minister immediately to seek a mandate to enforce observance of the law. The House of Representatives would thus only be affected.

POLICY OF UNIONS

TENSION AT CONFERENCE. COMMITTED TO BOYCOTT. MELBOURNE, July 12. A tense atmosphere prevailed when the conference of representatives of 70 Federal unions resumed today. Delegates accepted a ruling by the chairman, Mr R. King, M.L.C., Sydney, that the conference was committed in advance to a boycott of the national register by yesterday’s decision of the Australasian Council of Trades Union. Therefore the business of today’s conference was to prepare plans for industrial . action to protect members who were penalised for not signing register cards. It was claimed that the industrial movement faced the most momentous, issue in union history—the upsetting by boycott or strike action of Fedeia. legislation. . The militants had a strong majority today. Those representatives not supporting the boycott expressed frank views on the dangers involved, but they will apparently be an insufficient challenge. The militants will control the situation when a decision will be taken, probably late tonight. The militants claim that they are assured of sufficient mass support for the boycott and that no political party is strong enough to attempt wholesale' prosecutions for failure to sign the cards. The opinion is expressed, however, that the Australasian Council _of Trades Unions might offer to review the boycott decision if the Government removes from the national register legislation the provisions which the unions consider endanger Labour rights and civil liberties. DENIAL BY MR MENZIES NO EARLY ELECTION CONTEMPLATED. QUESTION NOT DISCUSSED WITH COLLEAGUES.* (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) PERTH, This Day. The Federal Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, has issued a statement denying that he is contemplating an early Federal election. He said he had not discussed the question with other Ministers.

UNIONS & BOYCOTT AN ALMOST UNANIMOUS DECISION. SYDNEY, July 121. The conference of Federal unions almost unanimously decided to support the boycott of the national register and to take whatever industrial action was thought fit to protect those refusing to sign the register.