MATTER STILL UNRESOLVED

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 October 1947, Page 5

MATTER STILL UNRESOLVED

Reed. 11.38 p.m. Melbourne, Oct. 2. The serious state of the political crisis which developed late on Wednesday night when the Legislative Council rejected the Supply Bill in an effort to force tiie Caln Labour Government to an election, remained unresolved late today. The Opposition is taking the Federal bank nationalisation proposal as an issue and hopes to get an early election as a test. Victorian public feeling is against nationalisation. The refusal of supply is unprecedented in Victorian politics, and unless a solution is found today 25,000 public servants go unpaid tomorrow. To the charge that the Council, which was elected on a restricted franchise has no right to reject a Supply Bill passed by a popularly elected Legislative Assembly, the Onposition replies that it will immediately pass the supply if the Government promises an election. Tiie Cabinet met today and decided to submit another Supply Bill tonight, but no indication was given what i s to be done. Public servants, bitterly criticising the Council, held protest meetings today. Railwaymen, though their pay is not yet affected, a s it is not due till next week, stopped trains for two

hours from midday, stranding thousands of people while employees attended demonstrations objecting “to being made the plaything of party politics." The Premier (Mr. Cain) immediately rejected the offer of the banks to' pay civil servants free of Interest as "unconstitutional and a usurpation of Parliamentary authority.”