EARLY ELECTION?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23858, 12 July 1939, Page 11

EARLY ELECTION?

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA RELATIONS BETWEEN PARTIES RAPIDLY BECOMING WORSE (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph-Copyright) SYDNEY, July 11. (Received July 12, at 1 a.m.) The daily press of Sydney and Melbourne freely hints at the possibility of a Federal general election before the end of the year, due mainly to the bad relations between the Government and the Country Party, which are every day becoming worse, and the hostility of sections of the Labour Party to the Government’s national register.

which some of the largest as well as the key unions intend to boycott. Forms which every citizen must complete, thereby furnishing a census of man-power and wealth, will be circulated on July 17, and are to be returned by the end of the month. Falure fully to answer all the questions render an offender liable to prosecution. The Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies), speaking at Adelaide yesterday, hinted at the possibility of an early election. He recently gave instructions that the electoial rolls of all States be brought up to date. In the ordinary course, a general election would not be due until late in 1940. THE NATIONAL REGISTER LABOUR PARTY DIVIDED MELBOURNE. July 11. (Received July 12, at 1 a.m.) Although political Labour organisations are opposed to the proposed boycott of the national register, the executive of the Australasian Council of Trades Unions to-day decided to reaffirm its boycott decision. The political section, although violently hostile to the national register on the ground that it is a menace to trades unionism, intends to oppose it by constitutional means, and it is unwilling to countenance a direct boycott, fearing that it will lead to a serious Labour split. The Council of Trades Unions, which is the industrial section, has the support of many Federal unions. A vital decision on the fate of the boycott proposal will be taken tomorrow, when representatives of 90 unions will meet in conference to consider the council’s decision. The issue is whether the unions shall take industrial action in support of any members who are imprisoned for failure to sign the register cards. The political section fears that if the division in the Labour ranks is too marked an early Federal election may have to be faced, with the certainty of a Labour defeat.