POLITICAL TURMOIL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16405, 27 December 1918, Page 7

POLITICAL TURMOIL.

POSITJON IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, December 13.

The New South Wales Assembly, more than any other State Parliament, is a reflection of political conditions in the Federal Parliament, and it is a remarknbie thine; that in each at present there is apparent a profound discontent by the members ot the Nationalist Party with the Governments which, they koep in office. . , , , Mr Holman has just brought tho State sessions to an end with the Bol-shevist-cum-I.W.W. Opposition shrieking furiously at him —which is rather to his crodit than otherwise —but with members of his own party crying out against him—-which, of course, undermines the security of a Government. Mr Holman, lately, has been "getting himself in wrong'' in several directions, flo took exception to certain criticisms by the <f Daily Telegraph," and set out to boycott the paper, and give all sorts of "scoops" to the "Sydney Morning Herald." The "Telegraph", as a result, has been stirring up all sorts of trouble against the Premier, and fostering intrigues in his own party against Kim. Certain legislation which ho wanted passed was Eushed through ruthlessly k in tho dying ourß of the session, unoer the party whip, and the whole Opposition, and somo Nationalists who decided they had grievances, have been very angry about it, Mr Holman is a conciliatory sort of person as a rule, but in the last couple of weeks he has been hitting out vigorously, right and left, smiting friends as ■well as foes. Tho session has closed in tho midst of a furious buzz, which may or may;not have a political reaction. Much the same thing has been happening in Melbourne, where the cold and saturnine Mr Watt, who personates ruthlessness moro strikingly than Mr Holman, has got all the Labour members, and a considerable section of his own party, shouting oijt "Dictator" against him. The sudden demands of demobilisation and repatriation, th« Shaw wireless scandal, certain matters connected with peace—all have piled an I enormous load upon tho too-willing shoulders of the Acting-Prime Minister, and he djclines to get things done in tho politician's usual way—by tact, diplomacy, finesse. Instead, he is going straight on with his programme, bluntly and determinedly. All Labour thought that tho War Precautions Act should be thrown away now. Mr Watt has stated frankly that he wants to retain for a little while yet some of the special powers the Act confers on him, in order to counter certain sinister activities of the anti-British elements in Australia, and he has taken authority accordingly. Mr Watt is enlbarrassed by having a number of notoriously incompetent Ministers in his Cabinet- 1 - mostly ex-Labour men, who swung into office on tho coat-tails of Mr Hughes— and lie has to take responsibility for their shortcomings. Mr Hughes himself, away in London, is quite discredited so far as this country is concerned. Thero is a growing feeling against tha Hughe3-Watt combination. The general election is still eighteen months away, but if Labour is to be kept cut of power then, it will only be done by a drastic rearrangement of the present Cabinet, bv which Mr Hughes and his friends will disappear, and the really efficient men associated with Mr Watt will take charge of the difficult work of administration.