LABOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1941, Page 5

LABOUR

FORMED IN NUMBER OF MEMBERS UNCHANGED. ’ MR CURTIN PRIME MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, October 6. Mr Curtin has completed the formation of the New Australia Labour Cabinet. It will consist of 19 members, the same number as the outgoing Cabinet, and includes Mr Curtin as Prime Minister, and Messrs Forde, deputy-leader of the party, J. Beasley, and Dr. H. Evatt. Mr Curtin has confirmed the invitation extended to Mr Duff Cooper to visit Australia. He is expected to arrive on November 1. SIR EARLE PAGE INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED WITH MISSION. USEFUL INFORMATION GAINED IN SINGAPORE. LONDON, October 6. Sir Earle Page, the Australian Minister who is visiting London on a special mission, has had discussions in Singapore with Mr Duff Cooper and responsible British and Australian service officers in Malaya. Sir Earle Uage said that the new Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Curtin, had cabled him to continue his journey. His talks in Singapore had put him in possession of the full facts of the situation in the Far East. This knowledge, together with discussions on many strategic points on the Pacific question, would be of great value in his London talks. Sir Earle Page visited Australian troops in Malaya, and said he thought they were doing extremely well. The conditions were far better than anything in the last war. Sir Earle said he had noticed the extraordinarily friendly relationship between the various services, and paid a tribute to the civilian welfare efforts on behalf of the troops. JUBILATION IN SYDNEY OVER LABOUR PARTY SUCCESS. SYDNEY, October 6. Reflecting the jubilation as a result of Labour having been returned to office in both State and Federal spheres, today’s annual Six-Hour Day procession in Sydney recaptured much of its former colour and fervour. For the first time in nine years the name of a Labour Prime Minister was blazoned in the banners and for the first time in 10 years a Labour Premier (Mr McKell) led the march. A feature of the procession, which appealed for all aid to Russia and to smash Fascism, was a spectacular tableau symbolising the activities of the National Emergency Services and the arms and munition factories.