FEDERAL POLITICS

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1931, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS

BANK PROBLEM Gibson Called by Senate I | GOLD SHIPMENT QUESTION. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) CANBERRA. May 1. An important development in the ; proceedings on the Bank Amendment Bib which proposed to use the gold . reserve for meeting overseas commitj meats was a Senate vote to have Sir Robert Gibson called to the bar of the House next week to give evidence re-J lating to the measure. This was notified by the Leader of the Opposition (Sir George Pearce),when the Senate mot. The debate on i the Bill i n the Senate was adjourned { until next week. TASMANIAN LABOURITE. RESIGNS FROM PARTY. HOBART. May 1. I Mr Benjamin Watkins, DeputyLeader of the State Parliamentary ■Party, has resigned From the party. He gave as his main reason that he could no longer approve the conduct of the Federal Ministry, but he also ( complained that he had been the vic- j tim of a most diaboL?al intrigue of , the white-anting type- within the Labour organisation. Mr Watkins declared that he had tried to stand up against the menace undermining his peace c-f mind, and his faith in the [ Labour organisation, but the strain became too great. “BRITONS” WONT LEND. MR SAMUEL’S VOUCHER. ! -- '•juvNDON, April 30. Mr A. M. Sainuel, a member of the House of Commons, who has studied the Australian financial position close-j ly. says that British investors will not risk their savings while men like j Theodore am 7 Lang are participating in the eontrvi of Australian finances.» If the big issuing houses at present backed an Australian loan, 99 per would be gft on the hands. Britons! lend willingly to South Africa and I New Zealand, because they believe in > the good faith of the Governments of these Dominions. It does not need imagination to see the mischief Lang and Twodcre have done. The Austra- • lianr have the remedy in their own! hanws. N.S.W. INTEREST BILL. SYDNEY, May 1. 1 Interest falling due to-day on the homes loan of a million pounds and the rural bank loan of a million, issued by the State Savings Bank, will; net be paid for the time being. These ’ loans were issued under a prospectus which carried a guarantee of the State Government, but it is stated that the Government intends to take advantage of the moratorium clause of the bank bill, which passed through 1 Parliament on Tuesday. ABOLITION OF SENATE URGED. CANBERRA. April 30. i In the House of Representatives. Mr Eldridge, who belongs to the B<’:>.-ley Group, gave notice of intention to ' move that a referendum be held for • the abolition cf the Senate. BANKRUPT COUNCIL. SYDNEY. April 30. The plight of some suburban Councils is exemplified by an announcement that the Alexandria Municipality is unable to pay wages. It has an overdraft c-f £ll,OOO. and other debts amounting to £3OOO. The uncollected, rates aggregate £lO,OOO. COMPLIMENT TO THE POLICE. SYDNEY’S “NEW GUARD.” LATEST POLITICAL STUNT. SYDNEY, April 30. ! “The New Guard ’’ is the name of a protective volunteer organisation, with membership of thousands, which was officially launched in New South Wales. A similar organisation has already been formed in Victoria. Its chief objects are the mainten- , anee of law and order, protection of : property and lives, sane honourable government, social service?, suppression of disloyalty. Its officers declare in a statement issued to-night, that the New Guard is in no sense a secret society. It will not tolerate interference with the liberty of the subject and will become only when the existing forces of law and order fail to cope with the crisis. N.S.W. LABOUR PARTY. INTERNAL DIFFERENCES. j SYDNEY, May 1. A move was made by the Premier , (Mr Lang) to convene a special meeting of the Labour Caucus to-day. Members of the Ministry and Lang • , followers W’ill, it seems, make an at- . tempt to discipline the section that 1 threatens revolt against the financial ' policy of the Government. Exception'; is taken by them to the opinions ex- i pressed by Mr Kelly. According to ■ statements made in the Parliamentary 1 IC’bbie?, an open revolt in the Caucus | against the Lang plan is not likely, : because the recalcitrant members feel : that it would be better tactics to remain silent until a more opportune time arrives. JOE CARRUTHERS BREAKS OUT. SYDNEY, May 1. In the course of a speech on the supply bill in the Upper House, Sir Joseph Carruthers said that the name of Australia was stinking in the rest

cf the world. The erux of the financial position was contained in the clause of the Niemeyer agreement, providing that if all parliaments agreed to carry it out, an undertaking would be given for the founding of the floating debt of Australia in London. If Mr Lang had said he would honour the agreement, the debt wouild immediately, have been funded, and they would have had no more trouble. The p: esent road the Government was following would result in disaster which would put Australia back a hundred years. The Supply Bill passed all stages. WOOL PROSPECTS. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY. May 1. “The general trade conditions in Europe have improved slightly, and the impression is that the financial situation has touched bottom,” stated Mr W. Innes Kerr, Sydney wool and skin merchant, who returned yesterday. “The market for our wool is promising, despite occasional variations. Wool arriving from Australia is going into consumption as soon as it lands. No stocks are being held.