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POLITICAL ORGANISATION
AMALGAMATION OF LIBERAL
' ; LEAGUES.
ADDRE8S BY MRT OEAKIN, M.P.
The annual conference of . the Common-
> wealth -Liberal party was held in the Tem1
perancc Hall last night. The body of the
hall was almost filled, and the balcony fully
, occupied. by representatives of both sexes
lrom metropolitan and country branches.
The proceedings throughout were very en
thusiastic. Mr, A. Denkin, M.P., presi
dent of the league, occupied the chair. /
. The. President expressed his appreciation
of the splendid work of the officers and
executive, and the great self-sacrifices made
, in 'the referendum light. (Applause.) Not
withstanding discouragements and impedi
ments, they, lied continued to build up the
party until now it. had become a force to
bo reckoned with in Federal and , State
affairs, v (Cheers.) His office in the party
had. been very largely of a consultative
character, and he could claim no share of
the credit due to those of the party who
j had throughout grappled with problems di-
: reelect at them from all points of the com
pass, The resolution on the business sheet
approving of the proposed amalgamation
with the People's parly was 'tho most hn-
' -portent -proposal : that had ever been be-
; fore, the Liberal party — (Cheers)— and tils
" amalgamation would enable nil to take an
even higher nnd more effaotive part in
citizenship than in the paat — in Federal,
.''State and municipal affairs. (Applause.)
More tlinn that, by united voice unci notion
they would be enabled to appeal to the
largo number of electors of Australia who
hitherto had been content to take "pot
luck" at the elections. The united party
: would endeavor to bring in. different people
to the realisation that they were permit
ting the superstructure of the Bystem under
win eh they lived to be overthrown. Tho
body with which their Liberal party was to
lieoome affiliated was about as large as
their own, and the efforts of the combined
forces would penetrate into every portion'
of Australia. (Cheers.) There was another
party, consisting wholly of women, that
persisted in going its own way, and, like
the comet, would continue to exist irrespec
tive of the planets around it. The Com
monwealth nnrty did not desire to inter
fere with that parly's liberty, but it wanted
that body as well brought into "harmony
with theirs for effective action. (Cheers.)
OrganisatiiMw in other States should be
brought into closer relationship, so that a
Federal council could meet to aim for Fede
ral co-operation, Federal activities and Fede
ral peace. -He liad that day been taunted
with the Labor successes of twelve months
ago. The Labor party bad gained a ma
jority. of seats in the Federal Parliament
with a innjority of people that did not
. show more than 10,000 in number. Com-
. plaint had been made as to how that cal-
culation was made, Let that party sup-
pore it was 20.000 or 50,000 ! If that ma-
jority were actually obtained last year, tho
Liberal party had got a majority of
250,000 1 ( Loud cheers.) The Labor party
fought like cats and dogs in caucus up
stairs, and after calling each other bad
names came down into the Parliamentary
Chamber and submitted tha majority
.'resolution as if it were the only one they
had ever thought of. (Laughter.) The.
? respects were more favorable for the
.iberal party now than ever they had,
been. It was all important that we should
have Victoria for Victorians, and by the
time that was brought about, by the me
dium. of tho State elections, tho Federal
elections would he near; and there was
always a municipal election "to kcop their
hand in," (Cheers.)
The resolution approving of the amalga
mation with the People's party was moved
by Mr. II. Brooks (chamber of manufac
tures), seconded by Mr. A. M. David (Bal-
larat) and carried amidst great cheering.
. The conference then went into coin-
. mittee to deal with the other business on
the agenda paper.
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