MR, THEODORE'S FUTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18708, 14 May 1924, Page 12

MR, THEODORE'S FUTURE.

SEEKING FEDERAL SSAT.

POSSIBLE r LABOUR LEADER.

[from ODE OWN correspondent. 3 ; ' ./ y;. - ;:.'SYDNEY, May 8. The . announcement that , Mr. , E. . ; G Theodore, Premier of , Queensland, - wh< has just completed the negotiations if -: London for tho conversion of huge, loat moneys and the ; overcoming 'of the re sentment in financial , circles of the notorious ; Repudiation Act, has arranged b\ cable ■to abandon the ' State sphere . anc contest the North Queensland Federal constituency of Herbert," has Caused - ac immense stir in Federal Labour circles. Mr. Theodore is, without question, th« strongest figure in Australian Labour today. . He. • combines with many; fine qualities: great ; strength of purpose; and although; the present Federal Labour leader, Mr. M. '.Charlton,' in' commenting on the announcement,"remarked that Mr. Theodore would be " 111 the same position as any. other man who is helping Labour" it; is inconceivable that... a man of his calibre and dominating personality would long remain separated from the leadership. y Labour," moreover, has. great hopes for the next election. ,;■ .: / ' : :y;,;.;.-. As. pointed ; out previously,. Australian politics on the . Nationalist or Liberal side have been absolutely * honeycombed by the Country Party, breakaway, divided authority having resulted in ' sapping even the appearance, of strength.. from the quasi-coalitions which have been patched upi- . The public intolerance of such situations lias .been strikingly demonstrated m -South and Western Australia, and Labour u has; great hopes . that in the Federal sphere in New South Wales, Where efforts to compose similar differences have failed, they will be equally successful If , .these hopes are realised, and Mr, Theodore wins Herbert, it would probably not be long before a position of great influence, if not: the greatest, would fall to him. The Herbert seat is now held by Mr. Bamford, a Labour man who ' turned Nationalist after the 1916 conscription split. At the last election Mr. Bamford only held the seat by a narrow majority and it is generally believed that Mr Theodore will have little difficulty in capturing it., :