FEDERAL POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21859, 23 July 1934, Page 6

FEDERAL POLITICS

THE COMING ELECTIONS LACK OF LABOUR UNITY SETBACK TO MR. LANG [from our own CORRESPONDENT J SYDNEY. July 14 Labour Party and the Lain: Labour Party will fight the Federal elections in New South Wales as separate organisations. The Lang Party made a lastminuto effort to brine about Labour unity on its own terms, but left the negotiations so late that the Victorian branch of the Federal Party, which has ' been inclined to extend the olive branch to Lints followers, would have nothing to do with them. As matters have turned out, the Lang party will not be a power in any of the other States, for the Labour organisations outside New South Wales have seen fit to go thoir own way. The most remarkable change has taken place in South Australia, where followers of Mr. Lang did their best to disrupt the Labour movement and almost succeeded./ Not long ago there were four distinct Labour factions in South Australia, and now all have been united under the Federal banner. This must be regarded as a distinct setback to Mr. Lang. There were two Lang groups, the Parliamentary Labour Party and the official Australian Labour Party During the negotiations that followed the fortunes of each faction fluctuated in a remarkable way, and then came the Government's decision for a general election. The harmony now ,is so complete that Senator Daly, who was excluded from the Senate selection ballot because he remained loyal to the Premiers' plan, has now been accepted as a candidate. The Lang Party has at last accepted the Victorian terms for completo " Labour unity in all States, and after the Federal elections an Australian conference'will be called for the pur- , pose of considering the whole position afresh. At the election,' Mr. Scullin will continue to lead the Australian Labour ■ Party, which will provide candidates who will give Lang men a solid fight in New South Wales constituencies. This will be playing into the hands of the Government Party, for it was in New South Wales that Labour was likely to make the greatest cains. It remains to be seen whether the rival factions will agree to an exchange of preferences! but with feeling running as high as it does at present, this is unlikely. . The Lang Party claims that the Federal Government's decision to go to the country in was due to "the abnormal swing against the Lyons Government revealed by the preliminary campaign in the Martin electorate in Sydney." Arrangements had been made to hold a by-election in Martin following on the death of Mr. W. A. Holinan. As a matter of fact, the Lang campaign in Martin had been most discour- / aging, and on two successive nights meetings that had been arranged were cancelled because there was no audience. Martin is still regarded as one of the doubtful seats, but Labour will have to fight hard if it is to reverse the result nearly three years ago. No by-election is to be held in Martin, the writ having been withdrawn as a result of the approaching general election. /