UPPER HOUSE VETO.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 245, 16 October 1925, Page 7

UPPER HOUSE VETO.

THE ABOLITION ISSUE.

PRIVILEGED " IDLE RICH."

LABOUR PREMIERS THREAT.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.! '; Received 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. In the House of Assembly, Mr. J. T. Lang, replying to questions regarding the Legislative Council's rejection of bills, said if the Council refused to sanction a few more democratic measures the people, would see that if they wanted democracy the Council would have to be wiped out, and the sooner the better.

No matter what majority Labour had in the Assembly, it would never be in control while the Council could reject its measures.

While the House of privileged representatives of the idle rich existed, democracy would never be able to control its own destiny.

Asked if he would submit the question of abolition of the Council to a referendum, Mr. Lang said he did not favour wasting time. He favoured the most practical course and hoped that it would be followed.

In a subsequent statement he declared it was preDOsterous that 60 or 70 gentlemen sitting in Council, representing themselves only, should be able to reduce popular government to a farce. The electors gave him full authority to go as far as time and opportunity would permit with Labour legislation, and he was determined "that neither the Tories in the Assembly, nor the diehards in the Council, shall defeat our purpose." (A. and N.Z. Cable.)