N.S. WALES POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18537, 24 April 1922, Page 7

N.S. WALES POLITICS

THE COALITION COMPACT, APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LEADER. A RUPTURE THREATENED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, April 22* A split is threatened in the Coalition ranks owing to the appointment of the Deputy Leader. According to the Coalition compact, the post was promised to a Progressive, but "as the latter party was divided on Coalition being effected, a number of Nationalists contend that the compact does not apply. The Nationalists contend that Mr Oakes should be the Deputy Leader. A meeting will be held on Monday to endeavour to arrive at a decision. MAJORITY LABOUR PARTY. PERSONNEL OF EXECUTIVE. SYDNEY, April 22. Mr Catts has announced the personnel of the Majority Labour Party Executive, which includes Mr Skeltott. an independent Protestant Labour candidate. [“Simply the beginning of a aeries,” was the description given at Sydney labour headquitters of the expulsion of Mr J. 11. Catts, from the Australian Labour Party. Mr Catts, who has formed a new party, baa numerous followers who still hold membership in the A.L.P. A list of these persons is being compiled, And form the nucleus of the scalp hunt. The executive of the A.L.P. has not yet answered the charges made by Mr Catts, and whether it will do so is not yet known. Meanwhile, Mr Catts it leaving no Stone unturned to increase the strength of his newlyformed organisation. The formation Of Mr Catts 1 Majority Labour Party caused little, if any, surprise among Labour members of the State Parliament. Such a development had been in the minds of many for some time, and it had, been openly discussed since the earliest election figures . were announced. New South Wales has gained for itself the reputation of being the “new party"; State by reason of the fact that somebody always seems to be starting a new organisation there. This does not apply to Victoria, where divisions of opinion in regard to tactics and policy have hitherto been dealt with within the movement, and have not led to schisms. Even when the struggle between the One Big tTnion. Advocates and the opponents of the scheme wee at its height, the leaders of both aides made their trials of strength at the. conferences of the party, and did not at any time suggest the formation of separate parties outside. The fight between the industrial and political wings in New South Wales has been in progress 'or three years, however, and in that time and prior to the All-Australian conference three Labour organisations without the official party were formed. The fued between • the various sections reached its height just prior to the last New South Wales elections, when Mr Greg. - M'Gitr, who is stated'"to have the backing of the Industrialists, also took a band. Mr Catts was appointed campaign director by the executive, despite considerable opposi* tion. The events of the election widened the breach, and when Mir Oatts wrote an article to the Sydney daily press denouncing other officials of the Labour movement the end wM in eight.' Mr Cette has been 'expelled and hts answered with' the formation of a new party. Ah examination of the programme outlined by Mr Catts’ new party, as compared with the hew programme of the official party, shows that the principal difference is in’ regard to .the objective. Mr Oatts retains the old objective of the Labour Party, which was jettisoned by the All-Australian conference, providing for the securing of th© full results of their labour to -all producers by the collective ownership of monopolies end the extension of the. economic functions of the State ipndl municipality, While the Labour Party how stands for the serialisation of industry as the objective.]