EASTER TASK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 69, 22 March 1934, Page 16

EASTER TASK.

STRUGGLE FOR UNITY.

LABOUR AT CROSSROADS. AUSTRALIA AND LANGISM. (Froai Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 16. Last week an A.L.P. conference opened in Sydney to consider means for the unification of the Labour movement throughout Australia. The State Labour party (the Langites), having been expelled from the A.L.I'., were not at first represented, the Labour representatives for New South Wales being all orthodox A.L.P. men. However, one of the first steps taken was to pass a resolution inviting the Lang group to send delegates to the conference to submit their proposals for reconciliation. The Langites at first affected to treat this oiler as an insult, declaring that they would not go "ca'p in hand" to the A.L.P., or discuss the matter of unity with Scullin and his followers. Meantime, Mr. Dwycr Grey, of Tasmania, and other ardent Langites, tried to get the conference to adopt in modified form the unity proposals already accepted by the Langite majority in Victoria and New South Wales. This movement failed; but the Langites still held aloof. Mr. Scullin was more conciliatory than usual, but Mr. Coleman and other leading members of the A.L.P. repeated what they liave often said before about the dangerous character of Langism. Terms of the Langites. However, Mr. Scullin urged that some way of unifying the movement must still be sought, and it was decided to approach the Langites again; while Mr. Coleman, speaking for the six A.L.P. delegates from New South Wales, who are all bitterly hostile to Langism, suggested that they should withdraw for the time "So as to give the Laligites a fair chance of impressing the conference without any hindrance from their most inveterate opponents. After some hesitation this proposal was accepted, and six spokesmen for Langism endeavoured to induce the conference to accept the "unity" proposals already adopted by the Victorian Langites. But they made it clear that the Langites would "come into the movement" only on their own terms. The Victorian scheme would make the Langites practically absolute ill New South Wales and probably also in other States. Nor would the Langites promise to recognise the authority of the A.L.P. conference and to observe its constitution; nor would they pledge themselves to reconsider the expulsion of ostracised members or to "conserve the rights" of present members of Parliament at the coming Federal elections.

Arrogant Tone Fails. On this last point even Mr. Scullin, who seemed somewhat impressed by the Langite statement of the case, refused to give way, declaring that those who had been loyal to the A.L.P. in New South Wales" should not he sacrificed to Langism. It is probable that the difference of opinion over the last point really decided the issue. At all events the "Labour Daily" charges the A.L.P. with subordinating "the movement" and the principle of unity to selfish personal interests.

There is no doubt that the arrogant tone adopted by the Langites exasperated the conference, while Mr. Jock Garden's clever attempt at quibbling and his skilful evasion of difficulties aroused the distrust of his hearers. The "Labour Daily" itself was severely castigated by various delegates for its persistent misrepresentation of the A.L.P. standpoint, and its strong party bias. So that in the end, the conference, refusing to be moved from the position that itliad taken up, bowed the Langites out.

Of course the struggle for unity will be renewed at the State Labour conference which opens at Easter, but the manner in which the Langite delegates were received here this- week shows that they inspire no confidence outside their own immediate following. Mr. Collier, Premier of AVest Australia, told the conference what he thought of the Langites. "I have no faith in these men," lie said, "for I know their record," and Lang and Garden have still a long way to go before they can secure "the .unity of Labour" on their own terms.