OFFICIAL LABOUR PARTY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21624, 9 April 1940, Page 6

OFFICIAL LABOUR PARTY

Resignation of the Hon. W. E. Barnard. Comment By Member For Timaru Commenting on the announcement i of the resignation of the Hon. W. E. ‘ Barnard. M.P. for Napier, and Speaker I of the House of Representatives, from ' the official Labour Party, the Rev. Clyde Carr. M.P.. a former president; of the party, in an interview with the | "Timaru Herald" last evening, said that j Mr Barnard's action did not come as a complete surprise to him. though he had endeavoured to dissuade Mr Barnard from taking it. for the present at least, as he (Mr Carr) had not yet’ abandoned hope of helping to influence I the party from within to preserve its integrity to hold the party together and to maintain it in office. "Mr Barnard and I,” said Mr Carr, “have been close friends for many years. We entered Parliament together in 1928, are more or less of an age and represent similar constituencies. I have the very highest regard not only for Mr Barnard's lofty ideals and unimpeachable character, but for his well-balanced judgment and judicial mind." Ideals Departed From Mr Carr went on to say that, to his knowledge, Mr Barnard felt with increasing regret that the party in power no longer followed the ideals that had led him to join them; nor were they adequately carrying out the policy and principles with which they went to the I country and on which they were so decisively returned at the past two elections. Mr Barnard had been particularly influenced of late by the method of Mr J. A. Lee’s expulsion at the recent conference of the party. Whereas two genuine amendments, moved by himself and Dr. D. G. McMillan, had been rejected by the president. Mr James Roberts, as "direct negatives,” the motion of Mr F. W. Schramm, M.P.. to expel Mr Lee, was taken without notice, was not on the order paper, and had never been before the agenda committee or the delegates. The whole discussion, moreover, had been taken in committee, with galleries cleared and doors locked, yet a prejudiced report, Mr Carr alleged, had been published in the “Standard,” the official organ of the party, next day on the authority of the Hon. D. Wilson. M.L.C. Another Influence Mr Barnard had been further influenced strongly, said Mr Carr, by the attitude of the Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, in the recent caucus of the Parliamentary Labour Party, when he had declined to accept a motion, prior i to the election of leader, for democratic control within the party, and had further refused to take the election of leader by a secret ballot on the preferential system; this in spite of the fact that the party’s constitution establishes this as the method of electing conference officers as well as officers of Labour Representation Committees. Mr Fraser had, however, given an undertaking that the matter of additions to the present Cabinet would come before caucus in six weeks, and that in November or December, an opportunity would be given of electing Cabinet bycaucus, subject to his final acceptance of personnel. As Mr Fraser had twice assured caucus that he did not wish to be a dictator, on the first occasion prior to the lamented death of Mr Savage, Mr Carr said that he and other members were prepared to give Mr Fraser every opportunity of proving himself and redeeming his promises. Mr Barnard had. however, decided to make what he regarded as the inevitable break at the present stage. The best wishes of all democratically and fair-minded people would go with him. Mr Carr concluded.

NOT INVOLVED SEAT AND SPEAKERSHIP By Telegraph —Press Association WELLINGTON. April 8. At 1.30 this afternoon the Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser> had not received the letter from the Hon. W E. Barnard tendering his resignation from the Labour Party. The letter had been read over to him last night by the editor of a Hawke’s Bay newspaper, to whom he had put the question whether Mr Barnard mentioned that he proposed to follow the logical and honest course and resign his seat as member for Napier and recontest it against the Labour candidate. “This question was put by me last night, and as I have not received the letter I cannot comment upon it in detail,” Mr Fraser'said. “It would appear. however, that Mr Barnard no doubt inadvertently omitted any reference to his intention to tender his resignation as member for Napier—to which seat he was elected as the endorsed candidate of the Labour Party —or anv reference to the Speakership, to which position he was again nominated by the Government Party and to which he was elected on the motion ol the late Prime Minister. I have no doubt that these omissions will be rectified at the earliest possible moment in accordance with the ordinary codes of honour.” His resignation from the party did not affect either his tenure of the Napier seat or the Speakership, said Mr Barnard in answer to a question put to him at Napier. “I was elected as Speaker by the House for the term of Parliament’s life,” he said. Invited to comment on Mr Barnard's resignation, Mr J. O’Brien, member for Westland, said: “I definitely do not agree with his attitude. I regret very much the step he has taken. If there is anything in tile Labour Party that Mr Barnard considers should be rectified his place is in the party not outside it.” The resignation of Mr Barnard from the New Zealand Labour Party was received this evening by the Prime Minister. Mr Barnard's letter reached Mr Fraser at 6.5 p.m., just before the conclusion of the meeting of the Cabinet. Mr Fraser subsequently said the letter would receive his consideration, and he would forward a reply to Mr Barnard in due course. ACTION ENDORSED By Telegraph—Press Association NAPIER. April 8. A resolution expressing confidence in Mr Barnard, who resigned from the Labour Party to-day. was carried by abcut a two to one majority of the Napier branch of the New Zealand Labour Party at a meeting to-night. The resolution was as follows: “That this branch, having fully considerec. the action oi the Member for Napier. Mr W. E. Barnard, and the reasons therefore, endorses e steps

he has taken, affirms its complete confidence in him as a loyal and efficient represent tive of the Labour movement, and assures him of its wholehearted support." The g thering was comparatively orderly, though the feelings ol a section of the audience ran rather high. There was a good deal of exciteme:. . applause and cheering when the motion was put. Some hundreds of members were unable to obtain admission to the hall where the meeting was l.cld.