A NEW STATE?

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 5

A NEW STATE?

AGITATION IN N.S.W.

“BEYOND STAGE OF WORDS”

LARGE AREA AFFECTED

VITAL DECISIONS EXPECTED

HOPE IN THREE-YEAR PLAN

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rec, 10.50 p.m. Sydney, Feb. 18. Following cii Dr. Earle Page’s speech on the agitation for the creation of a new State in northern New South Wales, the Sydney Sun to-day features an article hinting that within a fortnight a most sensational move for the creation of a new State in Northern New South Wales will be undertaken.

The area included in the secession movement is 100,000 square miles, and embraces tiie districts north and northwest of Tam worth, the prosperous centre of a dairying district. The population of the area is about 400,000.

The Sun says that the breakaway movement has gone beyond the stage of words. It is expected that the conference of the New State Leaguers, meeting at the end of this month, will make vital decisions which will probably lead to an immediate announcement regarding secession from New South Wales. Well-informed people, however, point out that there are constitutional difficulties in the way of sudden secession. CONDEMNATION OF BANKS EAST SYDNEY CAMPAIGN OPENS. NATIONALIST FEARS REPUDIATION. Rec. 1.5 a.m. Sydney, Feb. IS. The East Sydney by-election campaign was opened to-night on behalf of the rival parties. Mr. J. A. Beasley, Assistant Minister of Labour in the Federal Ministry, expounded the Labour policy at the Paddington Town Hall, where, there was a huge audience. The keynote of his address was fierce attacks on the banks and financial institutions which he declared were throttling Australia. He said it was impossible to meet the interest demands and at the same time maintain the principles for which Labour stood. The banks had brought about the failure in business and the restriction in the home market. Naturally, people were asking: “Who is governing?” There was only one answer. Whatever methods the Scullin Government had adopted to meet the present crisis had been at the dictation of the banks, including the Commonwealth, bank, which seemed to think they could with impunity grind the people down to the lowest level, destroy the social legislation bdilt by Labour and then start off afresh after safeguarding their own assets and creating a state of affairs similar to that in backward countries. Mr. Beasley commended Mr. J. T. Lang's financial plan to the electors and emphasised that the proposal of the Premiers’ conference at Canberra last week approving the idea of taxing Commonwealth and State loans was nothing mofe nor less than repudiation. Mr. H. S. Gillett, deputy-leader fo the Federal Opposition, opened the Nationalist campaign on behalf of their nominee, Mrr- Courtenay, at Darlinghurst. He discussed the complete failure of the Scullin Government to fulfil the multitude of its pre-election promises. Mr. Guillett said Labour was to speak with two voices in the East Sydney election. The State executive would advocate direct repudiation, the Federal executive was working to the same end through nationalisation of banking, which was intended to clear the way for Mr. E. G. Theodore’s plan. He warned the electors that if repudiation were carried out no Australian Government would be able to borrow another shilling within the lives of the present generation.

CANDIDATE REPUDIATED.

LABOUR EXECUTIVE’S BAN. Rec. LIO a.m. Sydney, Feb. 18. The Federal executive of the Australian Labour Party to-day repudiated Aiderman Ward, who is coptesting the East Sydney by-election on behalf of the State Labour executive, because he is advocating Mr. Lange financial proposals, REPUDIATION PROPOSALS MR. BAVIN’S CENSURE' MOTION. EARLY CLOSURE APPLIED. Rec. 8 p.m. Sydney, Feb. 18. The debate on Mr. T. R. Bavin’s motion of censure on the Lang Government, notice of which was tabled yesterday, was launched to-day, but it had not gone far when the closure was applied, the motion for which was agreed to on a strictly party division. For a while the House was in an uproar. Mr. Bavin exclaimed that the Government’s action in stifling discussion on such an important question as the proposed repudiation of national obligations would be properly appraised by the people of New South Wales. INVITATION ISSUED TO BANKS. MR. THEODORE’S CONFERENCE. Melbourne, Feb. 18. Invitations have been issued bj r the Federal Treasurer, Mr. Theodore, to the general of the principal trading banks of Australia to meet him and representatives of the Commonwealth Bank in conference at Melbourne on Friday on the general financial Situation. HOPE IN THREE-YEAR PLAN. BANKS IMPORTANT FACTOR. Rec. 9.25 p.m. Adelaide, Feb. IS. On his return from Canberra to-day the Premier of South Australia, Mr. L. L. Hill, Said the position of Australia, particularly regarding finance, was obscure at the moment, but he saw a gleam of hope. He believed when the Premiers met at Melbourne next week the plans which would be evolved from the deliberations there would depend entirely on the result of a conference between the Prime Minister and Mr. Theodore and th® Commonwealth Bank Board, when the three-year plan would be discussed.