Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1930. THE GREAT GOD LANG

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 10

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1930. THE GREAT GOD LANG

Last week's "Bulletin" noLes that a great change has come over the eloquent Mr. Lang since the electors of New South Wales put his political enemies under his feet and gave him the chance of realising those millennial promises that he had scattered broadcast. New South Wales Premier Lang, says the "Bulletin," has been strangely silent since, the Great Victory. It is supposed that he has devoted a uionth to deep thought; anyway, his only reported utterance during the month was an angry assertion that Bavin, his predecessor, had left him a deficit of 15 millionsor thereabouts—the Audi-tor-General says that the deficiency for the year to 30th June was £.1,379,----200, and that uncollected, income tax amounted to £1,514,500, although only portion of the railway deficit has been inducted. However, kite after kite is going up from Maequarie street. During the week that has since passed the kites have continued to go up from Maequarie street, plausibility has been given to some of them by a mention in the Governor's Speech, but with a single exception the oracle has maintained its stony silence, and that exception is of a most ominous character. Confronted with the fact that the State's obligations 'will amount during the next three months to £15,342,789— is it possible that "this is the 15 millions previously described as a "deficit"?— Mr. Lang referred to the position as "most embarrassing," and to the amount as "staggering." During the election "campaign, a definite promise of £50,000,000, and indefinite promises estimated to represent £150,000,000 more, failed to stagger the courage of Mr. Lang or the credulity of the electors. But now at the sight of a paltry £15,000,000 he betrays their trust by changing colour— Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier and afeard?— by trembling and hesitating, and by announcing the impotent conclusion that his Government will stop the drift "if it is humanly possible." There was no such invidious condition to mar the flow of Mr. Lang's promissory eloquence before the election. Times and seasons, supply and demand, the laws of arithmetic and of economics, and all the other agencies that limit the efforts of ordinary humanity were for slaves. But Mr. Lang was a free man appealing to free men, and on that basis they sustained his appeal and gave him all the power he asked. Yet what a change do they see when he comes in sight of the first obstacle, of which he knew, or could have known, months ago. Instead of taking it in his stride, he balks and begins talking about what he may do presently "if it is humanly possible"—he, their hero, whom they chose just because he was not subject to the human limitations of his rivals. To such a transformation his admirers may well apply the formula which, according to the novelists, had a wide vogue on the tenderest of occasions among the heroines of the •Victorian age, "O Mr. , this is so sudden!" But Mr. Lang must expect no tenderness from his dupes when they fully understand what has happened. An earlier stage in the process of disillusionment is depicted by the "Bulletin" in a powerful cartoon, entitled "The Prophets of Baal," and carrying the text, And they called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us." But there was no voice nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. —1 Kings, xviii., 2G. The centre of the picture is a huge idol representing the Great God Lang. Before it is an altar on which the attempt is being made to heat a lot of promises with a fire that will not burn, and round about it a "Chorus of Priests (unemployed and others)" gesticulates and exclaims: Here, shake it up, Jack, and get busy with the fire from Heaven! What arc we waiting for? "Jack" has since made a brave show in the Governor's Speech with a series of proposals. One of them is modestly described as a measure for the solution of the unsatisfactory linancial situation and unemployment —a promise quite in keeping with ihe sublime disregard of human limitations on which Mr. Lang won the election. But the bubble was pricked on the following day by that humble confession in Committee of Supply to which we have referred. Nobody appears to possess more magnificent qualifications for ihe spending of money than Mr. Lang, but even he, lacking the magical power which Australian Labour commonly attributes to the Banks, finds it difficult to spend what he has not got. The difficulty of proceeding with a spending programme when there is nothing to spend, and the expediency of diverting attention to less painful and more exciting issues, may account for the prominence which has been given to the abolition of the Legislative Council both in the Governor's Speech and since. Speaking broadly, constitutional controversy is just the kind of unnecessary trouble iliat a statesman, would be glad to avoid at such a time, but as a distraction from more troublesome mailers it may prove of some value to Mr. Lang. Even so, he cannot be congratulated on ihe start that he

has made. In 1926 his blundering tactics frustrated his attack on the Legislative Council, and covered himself with ridicule, and the foolish blunder with which he has opened his second campaign suggests that he may do as well again. Before the Legislative Council has embarrassed his Government in any way, and before his Abolition Bill has, apparently, been even circulated, Mr. Lang has taken time by the forelock, attempted to make his position in the Council perfectly secure by forty new appointments, and received a well-merited snub from the Governor for his pains. The request, we are told, was refused, His Excellency taking tho stand that no reasonable argument had been submitted in support of the Premier's contention that tho Government's policy measures wero threatened in that Chamber, and that until such an eventuality occurred, his .Excellency was unable constitutionally or reasonably to accede to so many appointments. His Excellency's ruling is indubitably xight, and after adjourning the House without deigning to give any reason beyond "a matter of high public importance," the Premier discussed the. question with his Cabinet, and still had ho statement to make. And all the while 1347 of Australian Labour's bravest and best, including the Premier's mother-in-law, are waiting in breathless excitement, ready to submit their claims to the" ballot as soon as their blundering leader has ascertained how many seats there are to fill. It is inspiring to know that so many are eager to enter the Council for the mere purpose of enabling it to commit suicide. But the gilt was taken off tho inspiration in 1926 when some of the' intended martyrs shied off at the last minute and succumbed to the superior charms of life, salary, and free passes. This is one of Mr. Lang's innumerable blunders which it may be hoped he will not repeat.