Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 16 April 1955, page 5


Labor split widens

CAIN SNUBS BARRY MEN; POLL 'SURE'

THE Labor Party split in Victoria

was widened yesterday when:

9 Mr. Cain, Premier, de

clined a Barry-Coleman group request for a unity conference;

and

. The old State execu

tive has authorized its Parliamentary leaders to appeal to the only tribunal now available - the people.

The Evatt-Stout group, by rejecting requests for a unity conference, would have to accept responsibility for events in the forthcoming State session, the old'

executive declared.

"Authority"

It declared a previous rejection of a conference was undoubtedly due to a pro

Communist influence, which 'x wes inexorably determined to smash Labor unity.

In a letter to Mr. Barry, , rejecting the conference proposal, Mr. Cain said unity could be achieved only by acceptance of authority of the Federal Labor Conference, the Federal executive,; and the Victorian central executive.

Unless the Coleman-Barry Party now somersaults, it ia certain to vote against the Government on the .Liberal's' no-confidence motion to be launched in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

'Smash party'

Mr. Barry said last nient: "Mr. Cain seems determined to smash the Labor Party in the interests, of the Communist Party, which is the only Party to benefit by such ¡a break.

"What Mr. Cain is doincr in his letter is to ask us to ally ourselves with the Evatt - Stout - Cain - Communist ¿rom).

"Mr. Cain knows we can. .not possibly do this."

The Labor Teachers' conference yesterday carried a resolution stating that i* could recognise only the old executive in Victoria.

It, appealed for a unity conference to give rank and file members a chance of healing the breach.

The union will be known In future as the Affiliated Teachers' Union.

Delegates agreed to the shange, which was requested by the Trades Hall Council on the ground that, as it was an affiliated body, the word "Labor" was unneces

sary.