James Scullin

James Henry Scullin (September 18th 1876, Wallara, VIC - January 28th 1953, Melbourne, VIC), was an Australian politician who was the 9th Prime Minister of Australia.

Biography

John Scullin, his father, a railwayman and Ann Logan, his mother, were two Irish catholics originating in Derry. He was the first catholic Prime Minister Irish and also illustrated himself by his absence of consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

After its primary studies, he worked in a grocer with Ballarat while continuing to inform itself in the course of the evening and by exerting his talents of speaker in the clubs of the area. He joined the workers party in 1903 and became leading Union of the Australian workers, then editor association of the " Evening Echo" , the newspaper of the workers party with Ballarat.

He was elected appointed of Ballarat for the first time in 1906 and lost his seat later four years. He was re-elected in 1922 with Melbourne and became chief of the workers party in 1928, after the resignation of Matthew Charlton.

In 1929, the conservative government of Stanley Bruce was reversed on its bills of liberalization of the industrial sector and the workers party gained one crushing (46 seats out of 75) victory with the elections which were followed from there to the House of Commons but not to the Senate. James Scullin took his functions of Prime Minister the October 22nd, two days before black Thursday of the Krach of 1929.

The economic depression which was followed from there struck hard Australia in 1930 with the collapse of exports of the agricultural produce and involved a mass unemployment. The government, torn by internal conflicts between the Minister for Finance, Ted Theodore, burning in favor of the ideas Keynesiennes on the revival of the economy by the public investment, and his/her colleagues Joseph Lyons and James Peg wood partisans of a deflationary policy, could not face the crisis.

In June 1930, Ted Theodore had to resign after being blamed in l'" Mungana" business; and Scullin took the wallet of finances. The situation worsened when Scullin left for London in order to secure loans and to attend the " Conference impériale". It secured loans with reduced tax there and succeeds in obtaining from the king George V her agreement to indicate Sir Isaac Isaacs like first General governor of Australian origin and that in spite of the loathing of the King on this choice and the strong opposition of the Australian Conservatives who transfer an attempt at republican behavior there.

The absence of Scullin of the country during all second half of 1930 allowed Fenton (which provided the functions of Prime Minister) and Lyons (who ensured that of Minister for Finance) to continue their deflationary policy in spite of a sharp opposition of the Labor deputies. Informed Scullin of the situation mainly by Peg wood and Lyons and on the opinions of the advisers of the Bank of England, believed duty to be solved with dark cuts in the national expenditure in spite of the disastrous social consequences which they generated. This decision led to serious confrontations within the government and made steal in glare the unit of the party.

In January 1931, Scullin turned over to Australia and named again Ted Theodore at the post of minister of Finances. Lyons, Peg wood and their allies left the government in sign of protest and created a new opposition party, " the United Australia Party". On its left wing, a certain number of deputies, led by the chief of the workers party of Wales News of the South, Jack Lang, formed a group of more radical tendency within the party what deprived Scullin of majority to the House of Commons as from March 1931. However the radical group did not wish to cause the fall of the government and that Ci could continue to function until November 1931. Finally, on November 25th, 1931, this " group; langiste" showed the government of incompetence and voted with the opposition a motion of censure which caused the fall of the government and new elections.

The workers party knew a serious defeat and passed from 46 to 14 deputies and Lyons, chief of the " United Australia Party" , became Prime Minister.

Scullin remained with the head of the workers party and lost the elections of 1934 again. There resigned of its post of head of the party, remained simple deputy and became a listened adviser of his Labor successors John Curtin and Ben Chifley.

It withdrew political life in 1949 and died in Melbourne in 1953 at the 76 years age

----

Simple: James Scullin

Random links: