CABINET RUMPUS IN SYDNEY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 29 April 1927, Page 9

CABINET RUMPUS IN SYDNEY.

Rift in Labour Party. AWAITING DEVELOPMENTS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. SYDNEY, April 27. The dispute in th© State Labour Party is at present at a standstill, each side waiting for the other to act, Tho next development will probab'y occur when the Federal Executive of tho Australian Labour Party will meet at Canberra next week. The dispute will then be renewed as to which body should represent New South "Wales at that Conference. Each State has the right to appoint six delegates. The Searlo Conference and tho majority Executive both claim to bo the constitutional body. LABOUR’S STORMY PETREL. A. C. WILLIS IN PRIVATE LIFE. (Sydney “Sun.” Right 'in the public eye at present— Mr A. O. Willis, M.L.C., vice-president ot die Executive Council of New South Wales. jVinifc sort of a man is this Mr. Willis who is tho centre of the storm in New South Wales politics? To the general public he is known as a former prominent official of the .Miners’ Federation, and at the present, leader of the Government in tho much abused —by the Labour Party—Legislative Council. LANG’S PERSONAL CHOICE. dir Willis, fresh from the coal mines of Wales, camc- to Australia about 16 years ago, with little or nothing m his pockets. After having worked as a miner here, ho filled practically every official position in the Miners’ "Federation, and later p'ayed a prominent part in the A.L.P.—once leading a breakaway party, but later returning to tho fold.

At tho time of the last State elections ho was president of the A.L.P., a position lie resigned when tho Lang Government took office. He was Mr Lang’s persoua! choice as leader of tho Government in the Upper House Chief man behind the present Easter Conference and largely responsible for the drawing up of the famous “Red" rules, he has now aroused the enmity of the Parliamentary Caucus, increased the bitter antagonism between himself and Mr J. Bailey, loader of the A.W.U. iorces, and created a crisis y ''eater than lias ever faced a. Labour Government in the history of this State. Bnt behind the .scenes? What is Mr. Willis like? Does lie carry his “Red” rule.? into his home life? Is lie the evil genius that his enemies in public life persist in painting him at present ? See Albert Charles "Willis at his week-end camp at Gymea Bay. Like Gladstone, Ins great recreation is felling trees; but almost as fascinating to him is rock-chopping. Some timo ago a Macquarie-street specialist told A. C. that he must spend as much time as possible in the open air. Accordingly, when he ran across a, man who had a block of land to sell at Gymea Bay, lie purchased it, and cheap, too, because the vendor did rot faeo how it would be possible to make a pathway from the top of the cliff to r' 1 ? this had no terrors lor Mr W illis. His mining experience stood him in good stead. He built his house, lumself. on the top of tho cliff, and then cut a track through 40ft. ot the rock as a start for his path to the water.

GARDENER SMOKER, READER 1 lien lie built 150 .steps—earned huge rocks for hundreds of yards to the right spot—and his job was finished. A great gardener, a great pipe smoker, a great reader—chiellv in beet 7 a “V V',o ge , ? f P'W'U’.v. That’s the Willis Ins friends know, and nothing pleases him more than for them to look up at his Gymea home at tho week-end. And, as the last stroko of the axe echoes through the hush and tho latest to U! ground, listen to a.U.W . s latest yarns—and ho knows vsuiuu good ones. But lie hopes to remain an 'interestiug figure in politics for some time yet.