THE LABOUR PARTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19198, 14 June 1924, Page 15

THE LABOUR PARTY.

BIFTS IiST AUSTRALIA. BALLOT-BOX SCANDALS. THE 11ECALL (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 4. Several {actors arc causing sharp divisions in the ranks of the Labour movement in New South Wales, with a strong reflex action on the Federal movement, at the present time. The principal one is the trouble arising out of the expulsions in consequence of the discovery that ballot boxes with sliding panels had been used for certain ballots During the year preceding the last State Conference the Executive expelled certain persons from the movement for alleged complicity in regard to the boxes. Some of these men were prominent members of the most powerful union in Australia —the Australian Workers’ Union, or A.W.U. and that body immediately took up their cause and instituted its own inquiry into the scandal Its decision completely exonerated us members, and their readmission to the movement was demanded. This the Executive resisted, and that matter was the subject of appeal to the recent State Conference of the Movement, when the guiding element of the executive not only secured re-election, but also had its decisions in regard to the scandals substantially endorsed. The A.W.U. element, however, did not let matters rest, but immediately moved for intervention by ihe Federal Executive. This the State Executive strongly opposed, and ended lost week by openly declaring that it would not co-operate in a fresh inquiry into the scandal which the Federal Executive had decided to hold. The Federal Executive decided to go on, and the extremist, or Industrial, wing of the State movement seized the opportunity of embarrassing the dominant element by demanding the immediate reassembly of the State Conference. Thus three hostile groups were in dispute—the State and Federal Executives and the Industrial wing of the State movement. The Federal Executive, determined to assert its assumed right as the Supreme Court of Appeal of the movement in Australia, has now actually started a fresh inquiry in Sydney, and the State Executive, equally resolved to assert its right to complete control of its own affairs, had passed strong resolutions against this action, has issued a recall to one of its representatives on the Federal Executive who is acting on the Committee of Inquiry, and is doing everything in its power to Mock the inquiry. Consequently the inquiry itself has degenerated into mere statements of the cases of the appellants without any representation on what might he termed the ease tor the prosecution, and it now remains to be seen whether the Federal body will withdraw from the matter or widen the breach in the movement by giving the only decision open to it in such circumstances, and exonerating the appellants. In the meantime the State Executive has decided to accede to the demand for the rea'ssemhly of the conference, but before it takes place the Industrial wing will itseF hold a conference, which had been arranged before the executive gave way, and without doubt it intends to make the very best of the present chaos to obtain the supremacy of the movement. With Mr Garden at the head of the Industrialists, this would mean the immediate admission of the Communists and the abandonment of -all pretence at moderation. The position is further complicated by the determination of the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Mr Lang, not to give effect to the conference decisions requiring members of Parliament to place their undated resignations in the hands of the executive, thus placing the power of recall in the ha,nds of seventeen men. He affects to interpret the decisions as favouring the constitutional right of electors to exercise a recall, and a reform which must be carried out bv legislation. This factor is another cause of strong dissent and controversy. and it also is being made the most of by the Industrialists.