LABOUR PARTY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18100, 16 June 1924, Page 10

LABOUR PARTY.

RIFTS IN AUSTRALIA.

BALLOT BOX SCANDALS

(FBo'al" oStt i OWN COBBKSPOHDiST j '/•'/■ <" : : ; ; : ' -SYDNEY, June 4j :■ Steveral factors', are ■ causing "sharp divisions in' ti»e .ranks Labour movement in New SoutK'Walcs; witl£a: strong reflex -action • on'the 'Federal movement, at the present, time. The principal one is the trouble, arising but of the expulsions in consequence of the discovery that boxes with sliding panels had been used for certain ballots. During the year preceding the last State conference the Executive expelled certain persons from the movement for alleged complicity m regard to the boxes. Some ot these men were prominent members of the most powerful union in, Aristraha-the Australian Workers' Union, or A.W.TJ.—and that body immediately took up ..their cause and instituted its own enquiry into the scandal Its decision completely exonerated! its members; and their readuiission to the movement was demanded. This the Executive resisted, and the matter was the subject of appeal to the recent State Conference of-trie Movement, when tli© guiding element of the Executive not only secured re-election, but also had its decisions in regard to the scandals pubstsmtVally endorsed. The A.W.TJ. element, however, did not let matters'rest, but immediately mov--ed for intervention by the Federal Executive. This the State ■ Executive strongly opposed, and ended last week by openly declaring -that it would not co-operate in n fresh enquiry into the scandal which the Federal Executive had decided to hold. The Federal Executive decided to go on, and the extremist, or Industrial, wing of the State movement seized the ¥ opportunity of embarrassing the' dominant element by demanding the immediate reassembly of the State Conference. Thus three hostile groups were in dispute —tlie State and • Federal executives and the , Industrial wing of the State movement. The Federal Executive, determined to assert its assumed right as the Supreme Court of Appeal of the< movement in Australia, has now actually started a fresh enquiry in Sydney, and the State Executive, equally resolved ~o assert its right to complete control of its own affairs, has passed strong resolutions against this action, has issue J a recall to one of its representatives on the Federal 1 Executive, who is on the Committee of Enquiry, and is doing everything in its power to ' block the enquiry. ' conse-j quently the enquiry itself .has'V.egenerifted into mere statements of the,cos3j of the appellants without any repre sentation on wjhat might be termed the case for the prosecution, and it now remains to be seen whether the Fedieral body will withdraw from the matter or widen the breach in the movement by giving the only decision open ( to it in such circumstances, and * exonerating the appellants. ~ In the meantime "the State Executive has decided to,accede to the demand for -the* re-assembly of I the Conference, but Before it, takes ' place the Industrial wing will itself hold a conference, which.-had been ar--1 ranged before the .Executive . gave I way, and ' without, doubt , -it' inI tends 7 to >,make the, very .bestof »the present chaos to obtain the > supremacy of the movement. With Mr Garden at the head of the i Industrialist*, this would' toe tin' the immediate admissyih of the Communists and the'abandonment of all pre-' tenoe at moderation. The position, is further--complicated Ibftithe tion of the,leader of the Parliamentary. Labour Party} Mr Lang, no*, to *gw«r effect to the Conference, decisions je-" quiring meinbers of their undaJ6d resignations'iri the-hands of the Executive, thus opla'eiiig i the power of'recall in-the teen mob. He"> affects to interpret'the decisions as favouring the. al right of electors, to exercise a< recall, and a reform,which must Tie f carried out by legislation. This 'factor* is another cause of strong dissent -and .controversy, and%<also is l being ;-made the most of by .the Industrialists.^