AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1933, Page 7

AUSTRALIA

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

A.W.U. OFFICIALS

SYDNEY. March 7.

The Australian Workers' Union, which gave most active support to the former Scullin Government, has swept its own executive out of office. Mr J. Bailey and Mr G. Buckland. President and Secretary respectively, and other officials who have held office for many years, have been deposed. The new President is Mr C. Dalton, and the Secretary, Mr John McNeill, who was a former Federal Parliamentarian for Wannon, Victoria.

STRONGER NAVY. CANBERRA, March 8.

Mr Lyons announced that the Commonwealth Government had opened negotiations with the British Government for the replacement of the destroyers in the Australian squadron by four destroyers of a more modern type, also for the replacement of the flotilla leader Anzac.

The Minister of Defence stated that the present intention was to replace the. Anzac with H.M.S. Mackay. Five vessels to be replaced are Anzac, Swordsman, Success, Tattoo and Tasmania.

WESTRALIAN SECESSION. PERTH, March 8.

Secessionists in Western Australia have protested to Mr Lyons against the Federal Government’s proposed intervention in the secession referen-

dum campaign. The Dominion League of Western Australia telegraphed to Mr Lyons: “Any interference by the Federal Government would be tyrannical and provocative. We warn you 4hat such unwarranted action will stir up great strife among the people.”