FOUR AMENDMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27387, 12 May 1950, Page 5

FOUR AMENDMENTS

Anti-Communist Bill SUGGESTIONS BY PRIME MINISTER NZPA—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m. . CANBERRA, May 11. The Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, today foreshadowed four amendments to the Communist Party Dissolution Bill but made no’reference to the Labour Party demand for shifting the onus of proof from an accused person to the Crown. The suggested amendments, all of which were decided upon by the caucus as part of Labour policy concerning the Bill, provide for safeguards upon the power of search, the right of appeal by an accused person to the Supreme Court as well as to the High Court, the awarding of costs bv the court in the event of a successful appeal, and the restriction of powers of the Bill over members of Parliament. Mr Menzies said .that during the debate on the Bill it had been shown that there were certain controversial matters which were matters of principle and others which were matters of detail. On matters of detail or procedure the Government would naturally consider any reasonable amendment which did not impair the real efficiency of the proposed law. Guillotine Applied The Government last night applied the guillotine on the debate on the Bill, In a time table set out by Mr Menzies the Bill must now pass through the House by 11 p.m. on May 23. The Labour Opposition protested at the imposition of the guillotine, and forced divisions on two necessary motions—the first declaring the Bill urgent, and the second fixing the time table. In the divisions on party lines the first motion was carried by 61 votes to 36, and the second by 61 to 41. Mr Menzies said that he and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Chifley, had been unable to arrange a voluntary time limit on the debate. The time limit fixed would not shorten the debate unduly, but would give adequate but not excessive time for the consideration of the important measure. “ Communist Party Subsidiary ” The Federal Executive of the Labour Party declared that, in its view, the Australian Peace Council was a subsidiary of the Communist Party. It added that no member of the Australian Labour Party could be associated with the Peace Council and remain on the party books. A Labour official said later that the only member of the party who had been associated with the Peace Council was Senator Morrow, of Tasmania, who would have to declare where he stood. Sequel to Waterfront Stoppage Ship owners have applied to the Federal Arbitration Court for an order suspending attendance money payments and annual leave credits to about 7000 watersiders who did not report for duty when the unauthorised stop-work meeting was held on Tuesday to- protest against the Communist Party Dissolution Bill. A shipping spokesman said that if the court made the order Left Wing elements within the federation would probably call for af cessation of work in port for an indefinite period. The Communist-controlled executive of the Sydney branch of the Waterside Workers’ Federation ignored the warning by Mr Justice Kirby, who said that all who failed to work on Tuesday might suffer severe penalties if appropriate application was made to the court.