MODERATE LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 39, 15 February 1941, Page 6

MODERATE LABOUR

UNITY IN N.S.W.

INFLUENCE ON WAR EFFORT

(By Trans-Tasman Air Mall-From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, February 8

Moderate Labour in New South Wales, represented by the Official Labour and the Non-Communist Labour Parties, was united as a result of a ballot announced in Sydney last night. This means that Mr. Beasley and his followers in the Federal Parliament will rejoin the Official party and Mr. Lang and his supporters will re-enter the State Labour caucus. . ■ Unity is expected to have a big effect ] on Australia's war effort, as the influence of the, militants led by ' the Hughes-Evans group will have been greatly diminished. This became evjH dent in the election of officers to, the New South Wales.. Labour Council, when Hughes was defeated in.the ballot for president and his nominees for other executive positions lost to the moderates. The Labour Council is the governing body of the industrial movement, . representing more than 60 unions, with a total membership of 25,000. Some observers contend that an attempt will be made to oust Mr. Curtin as leader and set up Mr. Beasley, but others consider this unlikely unless Mr. Curtin's health fails. Mr. Beasley, however, may become deputy' leader in place of Mr. Forde. . • One of the most immediate efforts of the united party will be to restore industrial peace. If. its leaders . can achieve a settlement of present strikes without disgruntling the men, its position will be the more consolidated. Mr. Curtin gave a lead in his speech after the vital War Council meeting, and Mr. Beasley was no less emphatic in a pre-unity address when he said: "We must get on with the job without interruption, because the danger is grave on all fronts and the time may be short. The Government must now begin by taking the workers into its confidence, by giving them the truth of the war position, and by. exercising authority over private employers and Government "contractors to force them to abandon any 'stand and deliver' methods and to co-operate freely and honestly with the unions. I have no hesitation ,in appealing for our maximum effort, but I feel that the appeal is as urgent to both the Government and the employers as to the unions."