Farmers' parliaments and country conferences: attempts by New South Wales Labor in the 1920s and 1930s to communicate with the countryside

Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Dec, 2004 by Ken Turner

At the close of the meeting, the Chair ruled that resolutions adopted by the Provincial Conference were binding unless reversed by the AGC. Martin was apprehensive of being bound by Metropolitan Conference decisions but his dissent had little support. Although the State Executive disapproved of this ruling, the President argued that only the AGC could deal with it. Supporters of the ruling argued that, unless it held, provincial conferences would be 'glorified debating societies'. (45)

At the subsequent AGC, country representatives resented the defeat of the proposal to finance the expenses of country members on the Executive by a levy of threepence per member. Seventeen items carried at the Young Provincial Conference were omitted from the agenda. (46) Mainly at the insistence of country delegates, Conference decided to sit on Saturday afternoon and night, before adjourning. An attempt to raise again the issue of delegates' expenses was ruled out of order. At the evening session, the Chair ruled that no new business like correspondence from country delegates could be dealt with until agenda items were completed. Many country delegates walked out but the Chair was asked to report on items still outstanding, giving a clear indication of items affecting country interests, because: 'There is a strong feeling abroad that an attempt has been made to prostitute the new rules so far as they affect country interests.' (47)

Subsequently the Executive reported that it accepted the case for payment of expenses, although no specific plan had been approved by Conference. It proposed a circular to branches and unions asking whether country delegates should get expenses and, if so, whether there should be a compulsory levy of threepence per member or perhaps a voluntary levy of threepence to sixpence.

The Provincial Conference held in Orange 26 January 1929 was poorly attended. The Herald reported that there were never more than twelve accredited delegates in attendance (although the General Secretary argued that thirty-three of a possible forty-five had attended the final session). (48) An attempt to appoint a country organiser was defeated. Complaints about the Executive's failure to provide expenses for its country members were repeated but an expenses motion was defeated at the AGC. At the 1931 Provincial Conference in Parkes the Central Executive was still wrestling with the problem of expenses, complaining that most branches ignored attempts to impose levies. (49) The 1932 Provincial Conference, for reasons of cost, was held in Sydney shortly before the AGC and had little country flavour. (50)

The Country Provincial Conference opening at Goulburn 28 January 1933 had 156 agenda items, coming from forty branches and electorate councils. These included some near-metropolitan areas like Bankstown (which asked to be transferred), as well as representatives from Illawarra, Bulli, and Lithgow. But there were a large number of items from areas like Dubbo, Yanco, Barwon, Wagga, Aylmerton, Ashburnham, and Goulburn, all of which sent at least five agenda items. Perhaps the greater apparent vitality had something to do with being again in Opposition. Even areas like Dubbo supported the work of the socialisation committees. Motions to open the Party to all bona fide working class organisations were defeated. Many agreed with Anthony Luchetti (Lithgow) that the Party should be wide enough to incorporate many shades of thought but wary of auxiliaries such as the Unemployed Workers' Movement. The Labor Daily Year Book summed up the proceedings in less than half a page: 'The most outstanding feature ... was the masterly speech by the leader of the party, Mr Lang.' (51)