MR. LANG’S DILEMMA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 9

MR. LANG’S DILEMMA

REBUFFED BY CAUCUS "BED” CONFERENCE ISSUE (From Our Own Correspondent.) .SYDNEY, 29th April. Although the State Parliament is in recess,' events in political circles during thelast, week or two—or at least in Labour circles —have been more stirring than if the parties were battling hammer and tongs on the floor of the House. Mr. Lang, Premier of the State by virtue of his leadership of the New South Wales Parliamentary Labour Party, finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. He is leader, but he has ft majority of his followers against him, and will continue to have them unless he consents to drop Mr. A. C. Willis, ■vice-president of the Executive Council and Leader for the Government in the Legislative Council, from the Cabinet. The present position rose through the State branch of the Labour Party being split in twain. One of the actions of the conference at Easter of what is known as the industrial wing was to ex- : jpel Messrs. Goodin and Gillies, two country members of the Legislative Assembly, who last December, with Mr. Loughlin, rebelled against Mr. Lang’s dictatorship. These two members agreed to support the Lang Government on certain terms.' In other , words, a pact was arranged. This pact the Easter conference repudiated. The' secret meeting of Cabinet Ministers last week and the meeting of the. Parliamentary Party this week reaflirmed this pact and repudiated the Easter conference. GOODIN-GILLIEB PACT. For the first time the terms of the pact were published the day after caucus met. The pact provided: (I) That Messrs. Goodin and Gillies should retain their membership of the party with all rights and privileges; (2) that tho repudiation of the dictatorship of the party by Mr: Lang should be endorsed by the party; (3) that precedence should be given to country legislation in the sessional programme of the Government; (4) that the Broken Hill Workers Compensation Act should be .passed; (5) that a committee of the party should meet the A.L.P. exccu- ' tive-to consider the question of a new. set of rules; (6) that a Press committee should be appointed; and (7) that extra seats should be provided for country constituents. The motion for • repudiation of the Easter conference’s decision to upset the pact was moved »by, the AttorneyGeneral (Mr. M'Tiernan), who has been one of Mr. Lang’s staunchest henchmen and was mostly responsible for the negotiations with the Docember rebels which resulted in tho pact being made. That he should now be ranking on the side of Mr. Lang’s bitterest opponents in the party shows to what effect the Premier has alienated his supporters. .He declared that he was, supporting the pact solely to preserve the solidarity of the party. Mr. Lang mot with an angry reception when he rose to support the action of the Easter 'conference, but he surprised them by saying that he was prepared to support the pact. The conference supported Mr. M'Tiernan’s motion. HIB ONLY FRIEND.

What caucus did, in brief, was to tell Mr. Xiang that Mr. Willis must go. It told the Premier that his presence in the Cabinet would divide the party, and though the party was solidly against an early dissolution, it plainly indicated •that it would even go to that length to secure Mr. WillU’s riddance. It has puzzled close political observers that Mr. Lang shduld have for so long contented himself to rely more upon Mr. Willis than on all his other Ministers combined. It is puzzling them still more that despite the decisions of caucus, pointing its finger to the open-door for Mr. Willis, Mr. Lang has again declared his intention of sticking to Mr. Willis. With his old enemies in the Cabinet reinforced by erstwhile supporters, Mr. Lang will find himself with Mr. Willis as his only friend. It is fairly certain that the other Ministers will not stand that kind of rule.