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UNITED LABOR PARTY.
QUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES.
Next Thursday is the time fixed for dosing
the ballot of members of the various trades
organisations affiliated with the United Labor
Party, which come time ago was ordered to be
tatcen on the (junction of the qualinoation oi
candidates for selection at plebiscites in con
nection with Parliamentary eleetionfc. A
•awticg of th* party mdl be oonTesed im
mediately atterwaida, and scm'.ineers nil! be
appointed to onunt the votea. The matter of
tte, qoalinoation of candidates who aspire to
rupr-M-ol the worken in I'atliament has been
much di«cusf-ed. and the tre!iof on tbe qnes
tiou was intnajKinod by the defeat vi Mr. J. N.
lttrks as the legislative Council elcctioaa,
and of Mr. C Proad, who was jhji
forward to oodewc the watt rendered vacant
by thfi departare ot Mr. Playfocd for England.
In th* oasti of Mr. Btrki die Goacbmaken'
Secivty tttrealMud to withdraw from the party
because they, bring a protectionist society,
objected to ainalctuen r*-icft run for Parlia
ment. Other orjfaoisattotw, thoc|rb (bey did
not bold out a •imilar menaoe, wore known to
have Mureo?od atrong adv«rso vie*™ on the
subject, and the party came to tbe ooodusion
that it woold be judicious to refer the matter
to a batlut, so a* to obtain aa indication of tbe
ffeoetal feeling on ton qowtion.
Reports were eiroulaced some time ago that
there was a probability of a serious split in the
party if the executive persisted is poctuut
torwaid oandidatHS who it was sUrged from
their position in life ooold not be in sympathy
with the workers, or understand their wants
a* well as those who were chosen direct from
tlmr own ranks. It was a!«o represented that
in oanseQOence several tooutus were likely to
recede from tbe organisation. Tbe worotary
of the party (Mr. K. L. Itatuhslor. M.P.) has
fiven an assoranee that no strong feeling was
dwiJayvd at the meeting wbioh was convened
■tpnnally to dinaim the qualitioations of oandi
•Jatea, and nothuir oooumd wbiob ooold bo
onctidcrcd as likely to result in a rupture.
When the party waa fint formed any
member of an association affiliated wita
the Tnd«s and Labur Council was eligible
fur nomination. Tnis limited the choice to
wage-cartHXa, bat a* it ?a? thoo^ht by some
teat nMcobcn of other aocieltaa who could nut
join tt>* counnil, but who ba<l Kiven great
aiaistance to the caure of tbe wakrn, should
be plaond on the pleuucite th* definitinn of
WBge-earoen was widened. This alteration
was only appUaabh* to the hut I««ttlativ?
Ctmnoii al?ctions and the election lor Last
Torrent. Tbe qoeattoa had naturally to be
ntdibciuaed, and, as Mr. lwtchelgt pointrd out,
without any marked Inttug berng abown it
was decided to commit th* aociot:e«.
At ih? la«t general o^ectiODi for the House
of Aaetinibly and on ttiv ?ucariun of the
election of Mr. MaPberoon fur l£ait Adelaide
in itZXi ttau clause appeared in tbe liat of con
dition*, to be observed in the plobiscittt :—
The <leanlUAU o[ a dm« Uuor nvntaeuttic
abaU t* a |?reon who It sll|.-iti>> to i^taue a member
o( a Uadca <v la!?r •ooicl>. ?L?oo tndn cr Ul>ur
welrtV 1> alxi «li>:ibU t . l««u •dUSatml with ISc
I'mvd Trades «od Labor Coum-d.
1b r?*|>pc> to the last Legislative Council
elretiuuD tbe plobiHute |?pt-ra rtab-d :—
That any unaubat at ?*> ««ol?Unn >Hi bated with
the L'oltfU Latior C?n> tutXt tts el.nil.Je tor aonilita
tioo (or ih? iilcbiacM (or MrcUct caadldaiet sot
fu:ur« Parliamenuhry ricctiJaa. t«Q?-i^iug such
urnmtt ts prrpared but^ga a dnlartUtis acre*-los u>
•aCMcsib* io Uie ptatforoi of tbe pan j. ?uit at*c thai
to Uu event ot hu rcing uuiujcwrful at (be ballot u«
will sot ooatcat any clrutorate oo but o*a amount in
•fetch a labor oasoidtU v l?ln( ror.
An expression ot opinion v now being
aougbt Iron the societiaM aa to which definition
they prefer, and to prevent duplication and
ensora a* uomplcta a vote a* ixuaible each
•ocietj' is rr-quested to appoint a ballot com
mittne u> receive, distribute, and return the
voting papers.
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