PARTIES FAIL TO AGREE

Southland Times, Issue 23923, 15 September 1939, Page 8

PARTIES FAIL TO AGREE

COMPOSITE MINISTRY IN AUSTRALIA PRIME MINISTER’S TERMS REJECTED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received September 14, 10.50 p.m.) CANBERRA, September 14. Negotiations for a composite Ministry between the United Australia and United Country parties have ended abruptly. The Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies) announced today that his proposal under which he should select his own Ministers from the rank and file of the Country Party had been unanimously rejected, and the matter was thus closed for the present. “I am just going on with the job I had in hand hitherto,” Mr Menzies said. The personnel of Australia’s War Cabinet is expected to be announced tomorrow.

The resignation of Sir Earle Page from the leadership of the United Country Party was accepted yesterday, and Mr A. G. Cameron was elected to succeed him. The Country Party then agreed to the formation of a composite Ministry, on terms to be discussed with the Prime Minister, as head of the United Australia Party. BRITISH PURCHASE OF WOOL CLIP AVERAGE PRICE BETWEEN 13d AND 14d (Received September 14, 10.50 p.m.) . SYDNEY, September 14.

Australia’s wool clip, according to the Canberra correspondent of The Sun, will probably be sold to Britain at an average price of between 13d and 14d a pound.