FEDERAL ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 20 September 1929, Page 13

FEDERAL ELECTION.

OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.

LABOUR LEADER'S SPEECH.

GOVERNMENT INDICTED.

(Roceived September 20, 12.5 a.m.) MELBOURNE. Sept. 19

Mr. J. H. Scullin. Lender of tho Opposition in tho Federal Parliament, opened tho Labour campaign at Richmond this evening. Ho vigorously defended tho arbitration system. Tho Labour Leader decjared that tire Government at tho last election received a mandate to maintain tho arbitration system, not to destroy it. Behind the latest move was an attempt to reduce wages, speed up the workers and lengthen their hours.

Mr. Scullin also attacked the taxation proposals * and tho Government's action in withdrawing tho prosecution of .Mr. John Brown, coalmine owner, on a charge of locking-out miners. Continuing Mr. Scullin contended that if the Federal Arbitration Court were swept away it would be impossible in most cases to induce employers to agree to meet their employees in conference round the table and there would bo no machinery to compel them to come together. Tho clock thus would be put back 25 years.

Tho speaker then attacked the Government upon what he termed tho alarming condition of tho Commonwealth's finances. Ho said tho accumulated surplus of £7,500,000 in hand when the BrucePago administration took office six years ago had been turned into an accumulated deficit of nearly £5,000,000. If finance was a test of good government then God help this Government. A sum of £2,000,000 had. been spent on assisted immigration in the past four years.

If the Labour Party were returned, said Mr. Scullin, this money would be diverted to assisting Australia's unemployed and helping to develop the country.

PARTIES' NOMINEES.

ACTION BY NATIONALISTS.

TWO CANDIDATES EXCLUDED.

SYDNEY, Sept. :9

The executive of the New South Wales Nationalist Party has endorsed as candidates for the Federal election all the sitting members of the party with the exception of Mr. W. M. Hughes and Lieutenant-Commander W. M. Marks, whoso nominations have been declared informal.

Mr. A. G. Manning, formerly member for Macquarie, will oppose Commander Marks, who is to stand as an Independent Nationalist for Wentworth.

The Country Party has endorsed all its sitting members in New South Wales.