FEDERAL POLITICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 117, 18 April 1931, Page 9

FEDERAL POLITICS

NATIONALISTS’ OFFER. FORMATION OF UNITED PARTY. WITH MR LYONS AS LEADER. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copyright.) Received April 18, 10 a.m. CANBERRA, April 18. Mr J. G. Latham, Leader of the Federal Opposition, stated to-day; “In order to remove misunderstandings as to the position of the Nationalist .Party and myself as leader I desire to make the following statement on behalf of tire party and myself: — ‘Jn view of the desperate national emergency the Nationalist Party is prepared to join with Mr J. A. Lyons and his supporters in forming a United Party in the House and in the country under the leadership of Mr Lyons. It is for Mr Lyons to say whether he will accept this offer. If he accepts he will have my sincere goodwill.’ ” Mr Latham added that as soon as a Government with a sound financial policy came into office, then, and then only, could producers, and also the unemployed, expect relief. It was the Government’s duty to resign immediately and allow that to occur. FIDUCIARY BILL. ATTITUDE OF THE SENATE. DEVELOPMENTS AT CAN BERRA. CANBERRA. April 17. The second reading of the Fiduciary Bill was rejected by the Senate by 21 votes to six. Senator Thompson. who should have resumed the debate to-day, was out of the Chamber, and the division on the second reading was immediately taken, resulting in the rejection of the bill. It is thought that the collapse of the bill was due to Mr Theodore’s statement about the Commonwealth Bank Board. There was still another dramatic development in tire House of Representatives this afternoon. The Prime Minister, amid scenes of excitement, announced that the Government did not- intend to proceed further with the Wheat Advances Relief Bill, and moved for an adjournment. Mr P. G. Stewart interjected: So much for “dud” number three. Mr Scullin added that this action followed upon the Senate’s rejection of the Fiduciary Bill. “We will test it right through to the bitter end, and we will send the bill back to the Senate,” he said. “Then we shall see what the people have to say about it.” Tempers ran high and interjections were frequent. Cheers and counter-cheers were given, the House dispersing amid the greatest confusion. It is understood that the Prime Minister plans a double dissolution threo months hence. GUNS DISAPPEAR. COMMUNIST DISCOVERED IN SYDNEY REGIMENT. Received April 18. 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY. April 18. The Telegraph states that the question which was asked in the Senate with regard to machine-guns has made public a fact which has perturbed the army authorities for somo time. It is definite that guns disappeared from the military custody and that efforts were made in Melbourne to induce certain military trainees to secure parts of Lewis machine guns kept at the drill halls. Parts of Lewis guns also mysteriously disappeared in Sydney. A prominent Communist was discovered in a Sydney regiment. Ho was questioned, and is not in the regiment now.