LABOUR DISSENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 April 1940, Page 5

LABOUR DISSENSIONS

LEE PAMPHLET PROMISED. [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. April 16. An intimation that he intended to publish a pamphlet that “would enable people to realise the real nature of the conflict in the Labour Party,” of Which he has been the centre, is made by Mr J. A. Lee, M.P., who re> cently was expelled from the Labour Party bj’ the Easter Conference. “This is one pamphlet,” he said, “which the National Executive of the New Zealand Labour Party will not maul, however much they may desire to maul the author. This pamphlet covers what is of concern for the future.” “Mr W. E. Barnard,” he added, “has been taken to task for saying that this is more than one man’s war. My opinion is that no membei' of ‘'the Labour Party has been more urgent regarding defence than Mi’ Barnard. Like myself, he believed that we should give what we can. Like myself, he is perturbed over the announcement that we are to borrow’ externally twenty millions for next year. If the hostilities flare, the figures may go to thirty millions. That wmuld give us an external debt of three hundred millions in five years. Parliament should be able to discuss and to determine, our effort, according to what we can give of our own men and our own material. New Zealand, alone of all the British countries, produces no war material. “I can claim myself to have prepared and had published more recruiting material than all of the Cabinet and all of the members of the Labour Party put together. There is a task for Mr Barnard and myself, and that is to build a lifeboat for radicalism, before a Macdonald sinks the Labour ship. We’ll start this week in Grey Lynn.” . x GREY LYNN BRANCH. AUCKLAND, April 16. “Any inference that the activities of the Grey Lynn branch of the Labour Party have been automatically dissolved as a result of the decision made at a meeting of members to withdraw from the party is far from the truth,” stated Mr F. Hackett, an executive member of the branch and the pro tern secretary, in a statement. He said it w r as probable that a special meeting would be called shortly to fill the vacancies among the office-bearers caused by voluntary resignations.

Mr Hackett said it must be remembered that out of a membership of over 400, only 65 members had voted in favour of the motion to withdraw from the party. A fair proportion had voted in, this way after hearing only one side of the case. Members would be advised as to when the special meeting was to be held, he added, and it was expected that, after reconsidering the matter, even some of the 65 -who favoured the resolution previously passed would still remain loyal members of the branch. At a later date it was hoped that members of the national executive council would visit. Auckland and address the branch.