SERIOUS BREACH

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20463, 1 April 1938, Page 7

SERIOUS BREACH

MINISTRY ENDANGERED THE VICTORIAN COUNTRY PARTY NEJW BODY TO BE FORMED United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright l MELBOURNE, March 31 The Victorian Country Party Ministry, led by Mr. A. A. Dunstan, is endangered as the result of the serious breach ut the Ballarat conference of the party on Tuesday. A further development last evening was a meeting of a large number of followers of Messrs. Paterson and McEwen, members of the party in the Federal Parliament who accepted Cabinet office with an outside party. The meeting decided to form a new party to be known as the LiberalCountry Party. Mr. Paterson and Mr. McEwen addressed the meeting, condemning the managers of the party for unfair tactics and for endeavouring to create public mistrust of members of Parliament. Mr. McEwen, who is Federal Minister of the Interior, said he was not prepared to be a Victorian first and an Australian second. Great Enthusiasm Great enthusiasm followed the decision to form the new party. A number of Mr. Dunstan's followers in the State Parliament say he is contemplating joining it. When the conference resumed yesterday the "break-away" members were absent. The suggestion of the i president, Mr. R. Skeat, that all candidates for office in the party's central council be required to sign guarantees hot to associate with any other party 1 was adopted, but many candidates refused to sign. The dramatic end to the evening’s bitter recrimination was the virtual expulsion of the leaders of the new movement. NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTION # STRUGGLE FOIR A SEAT unite i Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright (Received April 1, 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 1 The count in the Murrumbidgee electorate continues to see-saw. Mr. Hankinson has regained the lead over Mr. Enticknap, and now has a majority of 157, with about 500 absentee votes to be counted.