LIVELY PROCEEDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18689, 21 April 1924, Page 7

LIVELY PROCEEDINGS.

TACTICS OF COMMUNISTS/ LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE. OPENING DAY IN SYDNEY, By Telegraph Association — (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY. April 20. The opening to-day of the Australian Labour Party's annual conference was marked by lively proceedings. After the luncheon adjournment certain excluded members approached the president -with a view to moving to a larger hall. The conference agreed to this, but when they took possession several hundreds outside demanded admission, forced their way in, crowded the hal! and took possession. The proceedings for a time were very rowdy, till several policemen were .called in and the hubbub ceased. The meeting adjourned to a later hour. During the confusion charges and counter-charges were freely made by Communist and other sections. Mr. A. C. Willisj chairman, said that he expected trouble, and declared that it was the outcome of an organised attempt to force the hands of and disorganise the conference. The election of officers resulted in the return of the previous year's committee. The conference, after a warm and lengthy discussion, endorsed, by 154 votes to 102, the executive's decision to exclude Communist delegates, and negatived, by 160 votes to 104, a further motion thai all parties prepared to accept the Australian Labour Party's programme be allowed affiliation. A further heated discussion followed over appeals by Messrs. Bailey, Buckley, Bramston, Sutherland, Minahan and T. J. Smith, former prominent members, against their exclusion from the movement in connection with what is known as "the faked ballot-box scandal." The chairman read lengthy sworn and other statements made in Hie course of the exhaustive inquiry into the matter. These showed that ballot-boxes with sliding panels were made for use, enabling the results of the balloting to be controlled. Straight-out denials or rebutting evidence of the appellants' statements were also produced. The discussion was not finished when the conference adjourned. '• For a long time feeling has run high' between the Communist and moderate sections, and the conference promises some stormy sessions.