N.S.W. ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 116, 20 May 1925, Page 9

N.S.W. ELECTIONS

PARTY BICKERINGS

LABOUR ORGANISATION.

(PBOtt ODD OWN COEBESPOKDEHT.)

SYDNEY, 15th May.

i While the Progressives' policy is sub-< stantially in accord with the Govern-" ment's policy, and while they represent, broadly, the two wings of one army, in their opposition to the Labour Party, their constant bickering over ' minor; points, even in the midst of the present election campaign, is viewed with. dis-. quiet by those who are opposed to Lab-, our, especially as Mr. Lang's forces ara so perfectly organised. Those, with am inner knowledge of the party "operations! state that in the present campaign th« Labour movement is organised as. it has never been organised before. The vital question of the exchange of preferences between the Nationalists' and the wing of the Progressives who are outside the coalition, has illustrated once-again the fatuity of their quarrels in the face of their admissions tliat their figHb is. against' the Labour Party. The leader; of the Progressives advised his followers, after voting for the Progressive candidates, to give their next preferences to the other anti-Labour candidates. Sir George Fuller, in a reciprocal spirit, adV vised . Nationalists,, after ..voting the party ticket, to give their subsequent preferences to the Progressives. But that there has been any arrangement or pact between the parties on these lines has been emphatically denied. Thei issue is clearly a fight between the Labour Party on the one Land'and those on the other hand, who are opposed to the.m; but, if the anti-Labour parties cannot conquer their very slight and unimportant differences their lack of amity will, be reflected at the polls. The Labour Party is sparing nothing to. turn the .Nationalists out, and has brought all its best fighting material into-the iront line, including Mr. Theodore, thei ex-Premier of Queensland, who, if returned_ at the Federal elections—and. there is very little doubt about this will depose Mr. Charlton as the Federal Labour leader. If the Labour Party succeeds in th« Aew South Wales elections it- will be on Mr Lang that the mantle of Premier will fall. Of a, somewhat reserved type, Mr. Lang spends his time between politics and his real estate office, in one of the? suburbs. On the floor of the House! Mr. Lang is the typical sledge-hammes Labour politician 1, and in this respect is. quite unlike Mr., Dooley and the l»te» Mr. John Storey, former Labour Premiers, nor has he the social, hail-fellow-, well-met qualities of .those gentlemen,, especially John Storey, who was a 1 good '"mixer," and was as much at home witfi; the Prince of Wales, with whom he es-. tablished a very genuine friendship wbeifc the Prince was here, as with the workers; in. a his own electorate. There is some** thing of the melodramatic, something of missionary fervour, about Mr. Lang as he stands with big, bulky form on tha floor of the House and. brings his arms; down on the table with resounding force* On the contraty, Mr. Dooley and Mr* Storey were placid and serene. When Mr. Lang rises there is figuratively th^ smell of powder, the hot breath of battlgi in the atmosphere. The voice of Lab* our, as it finds articulate erpresskn through Mr. Lang, is a thunderous, land voice; and, after all, it is tie load voice m politics that makes iteetf heard. Thus one sees the rugged, solid typo of ma.n who stands a fair chance of sucoeedinff Sir George Fuller. It was in 1913 that Mr. Lang entered Parliament, and his; election then caused no little surprise in that it involved the defeat of the lat«j Mr. John Nobbs, who hitherto had been unbeatable. Some w»w} in politics leave the impress of little men trying to do big men's jobs. Mr. Lang doe* not leave that impression. If he an snmes the Premiership he will, it iseaf« to say, tackle the office with the fnllesi sense of its. responsibilities.