RECRIMINATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 3, 5 January 1926, Page 7

RECRIMINATIONS

SOUTH AFRICAN LABOUR

PARTY

MINISTERS UNDER FIRE

ORESWELL'S LEADERSHIP IN PERIL.

(CNRID MMU AIIOCIATION—COriMOBT.)

(lIBTM'S TCLEORAK.)

(Received sth January, 10.30 a.m.) CAPETOWN, 4th January.

The annual conference of the South African Labour Party was marked by protracted recrimination!, .mainly in connection with allegations of intrigue within the party. Thg Miniiter of Defence, Mr. Creswell, leader of the party, declared that the lait eight or nine monthi had shown that the party was far from being behind the Ministers. Messrs. Creawell and Boydell were thereafter subjected to much hostile criticism, a lection demanding that the Ministers should not be elected by the National Council on the ground that the rank and file should dictate the party's policy. Finallyi the conference by 40 votes to 29 resolved to suspend the standing orders in regard to the method of electing the council.

Further dissatisfaction was voiced in relation to a motion declaring that the Nationalist-Labour agreement, knowj as the Pact, was fully justified,H?eakers urging that Labour mon did St enjoy a due share of GovernmenMbppointments, and that the Government had failed to fulfil Labour's expectations as regarded a State Bank and Civil servants' salaries and other matters.

The motion was carried after the deletion of tha word ''fully." Later the proceedings were more harmonious. Although the left wing of the party failed to secure the exclusion of members of Parliament from the National Council, they secured control of the council, whose first act has been to depose Senator Briggs, chairman of the conference, from the chairmanship of the party, a position which he had held for the past eight years. This was in spite of the fact that his re-election was proposed by Mr. Creswell. This is regarded as ominous, and it is believed that it imperils Mr. Creswell's leadership of the party. ,