EXPELLED BY PARTY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 267, 24 August 1936, Page 6

EXPELLED BY PARTY.

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR MEMBERS ATTENDED BLACK CONFERENCE. (United Press Association— Copyright.) SYDNEY, August 23. Wholesale expulsions have been ordered by a special conference of the Australian Labour party. Four members of the Legislative Assembly Messrs Heffron, Lazzarini, Horsington and Davidson, and 17 leaders of the industrial revolt against Mr J. T. Lang were expelled for attending the Labour Council “black” conference on August 1. Four members of the Legislative Assembly attended this meeting as ‘ observers.” . The expulsions w.ere recommended by a secret investigation committee. Altogether, 54 trades union officers and, delegates were listed as liable to automatic expulsion, but the expulsion was confirmed only in the case of 17. Before considering the report of the secret investigation committee the conference carried resolutions of confidence in Mr Lang and Mr J. A. Beasley. The voting for the expulsions was 67 to 24. The investigation committee’s finding included the following: “We have reached the conclusion that the purposes of the Labour Council ‘bogus’ conference were: (1) to try to intimidate the State Executive andi the delegates to the Federal Australian Laboun party conference in Adelaide to facilitate the readmission to the movement of Mr J. S. Garden without his having to appeal to the annual general conference in accordance with the rules; (2) to endeavour to organise the disaffiected group within the paity for such purposes of intimidation; (3) to secure the disaffiliation of certain groups in the interests of the Communist party.” The expulsions of trades union leaders include representatives of the printers, furnishing trades, bricklayers, boot trades, postal workers, boilermakers, engineers, miners and railway workers. On the committee’s recommendation the conference declined to paneel the affiliation of the 28 unions which took part in the ‘Labour Council “black” conference. These were previously declared by the Australian Labour party executive as “automatically expelled.” BIG CRISIS IPROBABLE. LANG INFLUENCE WANING. (Received, This Day, 11.10 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. “The Sydney Morning Herald” says that defiant statements issued by the expelled members of Parliament and Trades Union leaders indicate that the decisions of the Labour Party Conference will probably precipitate one of the biggest crises m the State Labour movement within recent years. The “Herald” adds that union secretaries at the Trades Hall are confident that Mr Lang and, his supporters are nearing the end of their regime as controllers of the State Labour movement.