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DEFENCE SERVICE
COMPULSORY PLAN
Rejected at Conference
MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—
By 18 votes to 16 the Austra
lian Labour Party conference
to-day rejected the compulsory
system 01 qeicnoe service, xue
debate was long and heated,
and the chairman's ruling was
challenged.
rrvHE agendq item came forward
after there had been initial
discussion by the Post-war De
fence and Foreign Policy Commit
tee. The recommendations of this
committee, which were carried,
were:. That a permanent naval,
military and air forcp is vital to
the defence of Australia; that an
Advisory Defence Committee be
set up by toe Commonwealth Gov
ernment to review eoritiriually Aus
tralia's defence needs; that volun
teer forces, undergoing volunteer
naval, military and air force train
ing, be established to augment toe
permanent forces.
Although toe division went
smoothly on certain items of busi
ness, the final one, dealing with
the question of toe voluntary verr
sus compulsory system of recruit
ment, engaged the greater part of
the session;
"Tney nave ruinea nusiraimioy
two votes," was the comment over
heard as one of the delegates left
toe conference room at the end
of toe afternoon session. Other
Labour stalwarts expressed dis
gust at toe number of younger
members of the conference who
had voted to favour of the com
pulsory system. A few members
were surprised at the result of
toe voting, as the Prime Minister
(Mr. Chifley) voiced the opinion
to a speech to the conference on
Monday that the party always had
and always would favour toe
volunteer systerii of defence ser
vice.
Another resolution, recommend-
ing' toat toe Commonwealth Gov
ernment should be given a flnan-
cial interest to firms to which as
sistance had been given for muni
tion manufacturing purposes, was
discussed arid adopted. The reso
lution, which obviously was aimed
at preventing the handing over of
El ant and machinery to private
rms at depreciated prices; read:
bWherever the Commonwealth
roivfimmenl had rendered finan-
cial or material assistance to ariy
firm, the' capital value' of that as
sistance shall be assessed, and the
Government shall "retain an in
terest to toe firm and be en-
tlt'.ec to representation on toe
directorates or management to
proportion to its interest."
The resolution went on to state
that, provided toe Government
agreed to accept payment of the
amount Involved from any firm
and, payment being ' made, the
Government's Interest shell cease.
' This ' resolution was bracketed
with Others,1 which sought reten
tion by toe Government of all
factories entirely owned by toe
Goverriirient;' provision' for the
maintenance of machinery in such
plants and their lease to private
owners, arid the necessity for pay
ing' salaries sufficiently attractive
to obtain toe best management for
such factories.
An earlier" resolution, which re
affirmed the "White Australia
UQblUiCU lataw wiu vuuitt,-
ence's policy to that regard was
riot racial. '
The report of the Industrial
Committee, which deals with the
Sarty's attitude towards an lri-
rease to the basic wage, the 40-
hdur week, and amendments to
the Arbitratlori Act,' was adjourned
Because of toe absence of the
chairman (Mr. F. J. Olarey) at tor
day's session of toe State Parlia-
ment. '
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