BEASLEY GROUP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1940, Page 5

BEASLEY GROUP

POLICY IN THE FEDERAL ELECTION WAR PLANS DISCUSSED. DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, September 4. “Our party will stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain in the great cause which she is fighting,” declared Mr J. Beasley, leader of the small group of Federal Labour candidates known as “Non-Communists,” in the course of his election policy speech tonight. The British Government, however, he said, should be asked whether the sections of Australian troops overseas were essential to the current war plans. The Labour movement regarded the A.I.F. as the backbone of the Australian Army, and it was due to the Australian people that adequate troops should be available if war came to this country.

His party favoured adequate reinforcements and the best equipment for Australian troops, and also increases in their pay and allowances to the equivalent of the basic wage. He was also in favour of a rental allowance of £1 a week and proper provision for their dependants. It should be the aim of the Australian Government, he said, to increase greatly the strength of the Air Force, with an objective of 10,000 machines, and at least 500 aerodromes located at strategic points on .the entire Australian coast, while every dockyard in the Commonwealth should be set at work constructing flotilla craft. He hoped that for every man trained under the Empire Air Force plan two others would be trained for service in Australia. He advocated use of credit by the Commonwealth Bank in order to speed up defence works, relieve unemployment, finance primary producers, and provide a guarantee of 3s IOJd a bushel to wheat growers. He urged the establishment of conciliation committees for speedy settlement of disputes. FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER CRITICISED BY FORMER JUDGE. SYDNEY. September 5. Mr Evatt, who resigned from the High Court Bench to stand as a Labour candidate, in opening his election campaign, said: “The plain truth is that Mr Menzies has failed in his high trust. His qualifications in peacetime are admitted, but when the blast of war blows he is not the man to lead Australia.”