POLITICAL SPLIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 9

POLITICAL SPLIT.

SOUTH AFRICAN PACT

Nationalist-Labour Union

Tottering.

DISSOLUTION PREDICTED

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 11.30 a.m.)

CAPETOWN, November 2,

The Nationalist-Labour pact is tottering to disruption. It is reported that General Hertzog, to-day, invited the Hon. W. B. Madeley to resign his portfolio of Minister of Posts owing to his recognising the Native Workers' Union as the mouthpiece for the natives employed in the Postal Department of the Government.

A Dutch organ states Mr. Madeley has adopted an extreme attitude with Socialistic leanings which the Government cannot tolerate. The Native Union, which imported a Scotsman as organiser, is described as a breeding place for political agitation.

Mr. Madeley denies that he has resigned. This is interpreted as meaning that he is forcing a similar position to that of 1912 when General Botha dissolved and reconstructed the Cabinet, leaving General Hertzog out. Mr. Madeley is now a bitter opponent of Hon. F. H. P. Creswell, Minister of Defence. All attempts to reconcile the Labour factions have failed.

Mr. Barlow, speaking at Bloemfontein, last night, said: "I am going to break the pact. I will embarrass the Government at next session as never before. The Government must dissolve in July."

It is contemplated that a short final session will be held to deal with the estimates and the Native Land Bill, and it is now doubtful if the pact will hold together.

A message from Capetown on May 3 stated that the Minister of Defence and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. F. P. Creswell, was about to end the longstanding feud within the Labour party by the establishment of a new party on Labour principles. It was to have been based on an arrangement with the Nationalists, under which his followers would receive seats in the Tact Cabinet after the next election, in proportion to the number returned at the poll. He blamed the National Council of the Labour party for having precipitated this final breach. It was thought that his aim was to re-establish himself in the eyes of the British workers in South Africa, who opposed hia flag policy by his condemnaation of the Semetic influence paramount on the National Council of the present Labour party. The position of the parties after the last general election was: Nationalist 63. South African party 53, Labour 18, Independent I.