LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 23 August 1911, Page 5

LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE.

THE REFERENDUM FIASCO. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright United Press Association. Sydney, August 22. A special Political Labour League conference was field ior tho purpose of considering the attitude of members who voted against or abstained from voting on tno Federal referendum, also the question of tho reconstruction of conferences vitli a view of reducing the number of delegates. It vyjis decided to exclude press men, with the exception-of the accredited representatives of the Labour press.

The conference sav late. The proceedings wore lively, and once or twice closely approaciied a scene, the president ordering Mr. Hughes, the Acting-Premier, and several State Ministers, off the platform. Several motions, one for expelling offending members from tho party, and others in favour of censuring or otherwise dealing with them, were discussed. Eventually the censure proposal was negatived by a largo majority. A resolution was moved by Mr. Chris. Watson, and carried by a four-fifths majority, that in order to insure tho solidarity of tho party and to prevent a recurrence of the unsatisfactory position in connection with the recent Federal referenda, tho conference directs- that in future tho executive refuse to endorse as a candidate any person who 'henceforth at a referendum opposes or -fails to support the proposals submitted to the people by Cm liV.fiova lor State Labour parties, provided that such proposals have first lioeii endorsed by an inter-State or Now South Wales conference. (Received 23, 10.30 a.in.) Sydney, August 23.

Tho Labour Conference laughed at tho motion that Messrs Holman and Boeby be expelled from tho movement. Speaking on the motion, censuring members for not supporting the referendum, Mr Hughes and others failed to arouse enthusiasm. Mr Holman, replying, attacked Mr Hughes, and declared that three matters out of five in the' referendum proposals were not in tho Labour platlorih, and were net binding on members of the party. Ho contended that tiie State Labour Party was not bound to follow the Federal Party in matters not in the former’s platform. This was greeted with cheers. After the conference adjourned Mr. Holman stated that the Government had every reason to be pleased at tho attitude adopted.