END OF LABOUR FEUD

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 10

END OF LABOUR FEUD

EIGHT YEAR’S DISSENSION. •NEW SOUTH WALES FACTIONS. Sydney, July 24. . The reconciliation that has been effected between the Australian Workers’ Union and the New South Wales? Branch, of the Australian Labour Party ■ ends one of the most remarkable feuds in the history of the Labour movement in Australia, and comes practically on the eve of the State general election. The campaign promises to be one of. the. keenest' yet held, and Labour is rejoicing at the fact that for the first, tinie for many years it will face the electors as a united body. It is realised that ,if Labour, is to regain control it must, make some ' gains in the country districts, and as the A.W.U. is a force to be reckoned with in the. country, Labour is justified at being a little more optimistic • than it was.' The A.WIU. has immense resources, and if some of its funds are made available ; there will be a doubling of joy. The feud between the two bodies began about eight years ago, when theA.W.U. group, embracing thousands of railwaymen, shearers, farm labourers, ordinary labourers, sugar workers, and city and country toilers, of every de-.; scription, had a majority on the executive of the Labour Party., A disputearose between .some ~ of 'the leaders and the former Premier of New South Wales, Mr. J. B. Dooley, and finally Mr. Dooley was “dealt. with” in . typical.: Labour fashion, and. the result was an uproar. Further developments followed, and. the bitterness .between the factions increased until the internecine, war was the. topic of New South Wales. ..The rival fac-. tioris commenced strenuous preparations for the next , annual conference of the Labour Party, and soon, the struggle spread to'the Labour Leagues and the unions, each side striving, for representation. .. ... •_ .... .- -

The factions ,hcld meetings almost nightly, and the discussions were given an enormous amount of publicity m. the Press. It was “star” news for weeks and .months. The riyal factions issued tickets instructing their supporters how to vote for the executive. The Communists also issued a ticket in .alliance, with some of their former enemies, and they gained eight seats. Elaborate precautions were taken to guard the ballot. It was in this atmosphere, that the conference opened. The sensation, however, was still to come. This was the production of the famous ballot box w ItL a sliding panel, and allegations were made against men prominent in the movement that they had designed arid ordered these boxes with the idea o. faking the ballot. The upshot was that the A.W.U. group; members of which figured in the scandal, were defeated, and a new executive took office. Mr. Dooley was reinstated, and admitted back with full honours. A Labour. member of the State House was adjudged guilty of charges relating to the ballot box, and he and others were expelled from the, party. They appealed, and the appeal was heard before Mr. E. G. Theodore and dismissed. ~ The A.W.U. was - far from satisfied with the turn of events, and held an exhaustive inquiry on -its own as to. the actions of its members, who had been expelled. The A.W.U. committee emphatic.! liy declared that its representatives were not guilty of the charges that .had been brought against them. One of the A.W.U. officers, Mr. J. Bailey. | has always asserted his innocence, and • onlv a few months ago, in. the Supreme Court of New South Wales). he was awarded • heavy damages against the members of the committee * who found him guilty seven years, ago. During the last few years hiany of those who have taken a prominent part in the Labour movement had. almost forgotten how : the feud had originated, but this' has not meant any lessening of the bitterness between representatives of the opposing factions. In some quarters it is felt that the feud has not really ended, and that it will break out again when the time for the first real trial of strength arrives. : Labour’s only hope is that the trial will be postponed until after next Stiite elections. ’