Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

DISLOYALTY CHARGES
Friction in Labor Party
EXPULSIONS EXPECTED
Members of the Australian Labor
Party at Port Aaelaide are still smart
ing at the deofeat of their candidate
IVr. F. J. Condon in the recent elec
tion. Intense teeling exists and there
is every indication or expulsions from
the movement of members suspected
of disloyalty.
A boisterous meeting of the local elec
torate.committee of the party was held
last nigut, when Mr. J. Anderso pre-'
sided.
tleports from local comnnittees regard
ing the election were submitted by dele
gates. It was stated today that the
chairman severely criticiscd local cotnmlL
tees for not having given full support to
the lofficial Labor candidates. His oe
marks were resented by a number of
delegates who are reported to have JaiL
the blamc of the failurec of the party to
pour organllsation.
'.The collyplainled that insuflicient litera
tlure to suplport thle party canlidatcs was
miade available. Comnmittees had done
their best to indtce ImemIbers and other
workcrs to give full sIupport to tlhe odicial
IlOIllillecS.
lMr. J. Gllioln mloved-"Thllat all memn
bers whou \,voted or worked against tlhe
inlterests of thile Labor P'arty alnd its calln
didates at thile laat elcctio be expelled
fronm thie mIovellcIlt."
Divided Committee
Aftcr a hcated- dliscussion the motion
was carried on thle casting vote of the
chairlmanll thus demonstrating that the
colllmmittee was divided on thle mautter.
To Illmake thile attitude of the committee
consistent lmelmbecs submlitted that the
resolution should apply hit only to the
last election hibt to electious of past
years, anlld a resolultion was adopted that
any cIltlmber who in thile past had acted
against thile interests of Labor candidates,
thle party pIlatfoilm. or its policy should
be expelled.
A prominellnt ieionlist whilo was criti
cised by M1r..Condon 'challenged fany mem
ber of tlhec conmlllittee to show that he
had ever lcted illn d maInner detrimental
to Labor industrially or politically during
the score of years that hIe had been con
nected with the movenment.
ie submitted tllhat alny cllharge made
should give specific items pointing Jut any
act of disloyalty.
Mr. Auderson gave a ruling that
charges lshoul l1e handed to the stecre
taries of local connittees who silhould in
tulrn forwardl tlhemln to thle secretary of
thile electorate committee. N;o statement
regardinlg the alleged act of disloyalty
shoullll he shown n1 the charge. The
actual offence should l not be disclosed
untlil thile electorate committee again met.
Thle ruling was rellorted to have been
challenged andl upset. after whlich the
chairman abruptly closed the meeting on
t;lhe ground that-the time stated for.the
transaction. of. business -h1aleesedn.l
Mr. J. S. Verran Named
Whmn a'pproucshed today M[r. .T. E.
Stelhons (seoretlai'r of tle Port Adelaide
branchll of the lFdleratcd Caittrs and
T)rivers' TUnion anltld p]resildent of the fede
ration), whose ilname Ilhas bIeen freely men
tioned as a member against whom a charge
of disloyalty is to be made, declined to
,i.lllCnelt o, thle lmattdr. As far as le.
knew no chlarge Ilhald beenl. made against
Ilili l
him. •
Mr. J. S. 'erran (former meniber of
Parliamenlt for Port Adelaide), who .was
defeated by Mr. Condon at the plebiscite
taken amoill Ilmalera of thle Labor Party
thrCee years -to. ]Iad a charge of disloyalty
preferred againllst him at the mneeting last
niight.
It is undlerstoodl tllhat this chllarge and
those against other members will be dealt
with at the next meeting of the com
mit tee.
$