POLITICAL CRISIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 20 November 1926, Page 9

POLITICAL CRISIS.

| N.S.W. POSITION. I DISSOLUTION MAY FOLLOW. I CAUCUS SUPPORTS LANG. i ——■— (By Cable. —Press Association.—CopyrVgnt.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, this clay. After the adjournment of Parliament, Cabinet held a lengthy discussion, fol- . lowed by a hastily-summoned meeting of the caucus, but no suggestions to- ; wards the settlement of the trouble j were made. It is understood that Mr. Lang's colleagues suggested that Mr. Loughliu : might be informed that Cabinet was fully aware Mr. Lang had no desire to become a dictator, nor would he use the powers given him by the Australian Labour party. 1 It is said the Premier had the support of the whole Ministry. Even those Ministers who voted against him for leadership gave warm assurances of their faithful support, as in these circumstances the Cabinet could not agree !to Mr. Lang being dropped. It is believed that further efforts are being made to placate the three members concerned, Messrs. Loughlin, Goodin, and Gillies, and results will be re- ■ ported to a specially-summoned caucus ' for to-morrow night*. If these efforts . fail, it is believed the three members will vote to defeat the Government, in which event the Speaker, Mr. Doolcy, will resign from the Chair to make tlic parties even, enabling Mr. Lang to ask the Governor for a dissolution.

MR. LANG BLAMED.

SYDNEY, November 19. What to some extent hastened the political crisis in New South Wales politics was the unexpected issue of a proclamation which brought into operation the bill recently passed providing for single Parliamentary seats instead of the former proportional representation system. This was done after a meeting of the Executive Council of the Labour party without consulting the caucus. It was anticipated by the members of the caucus that they would be given an opportunity of expressing their opinions on the subject. . Strong resentment also exists at the arbitrary assumption by the Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, of the powers conferred upon him at the recent conference of the Australian Labour party. The Australian Labour party conference carried a resolution of entire confidence in Mr. Lang and commending hia efforts to abolish the Legislative Council and the position of Governor-General.