RECALL OF GOVERNOR

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 25 March 1931, Page 9

RECALL OF GOVERNOR

PARTY TO CONSIDER IT

BYDNKV, l!4th March

'Chore wen.' no representations by the Government; to-day to the Imperial Government in connection with the Governor's recall. The Parliamentary Labour Party 10-morrow will consider l.lin whole matter.

A grave political situation was created by the action of tho State Governor, Sir Philip Game, in refusing to make additional Labour appointments to the Legislative Council. Mr. 3. T. Lang intended to communicate! with, tho Imperial Government and request the recall of tho Governor.

STILL LIVING

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

NEXT MOVE AWAITED

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 10th March.

At si cost to the poor taxpayers of New South Wales of. move than £10,----000, tlio highest tribunal in tho Commonwealth—the Federal High Courthas decided in effect that tho Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, cannot abolish the Legislative Council, which is tho stumb-ling-block in his Socialistic scheme of things. Now Mr. Lang, a sclf-eonfessea "good Australian," who will tolerate no outsido interference with the domestic policy of the State, not even in financial matters, lias decided to appeal to the Privy Council instead of to his own people. That will cost another £20,000 or £30,000, and all tho time ho has on the Statute Book a law which gives authority for a referendum. He says that he has absolute conviction that his policy is the right one, and that the people do not want the Council any longer, yet he refuses to givo them tho opportunity of voting on tho issue. MR. LANG EEATEN. The circumstances surrounding the attempt to abolish the Council are unique, and all along the Jine Mr. Lang, clever tactician though ho is, has been beaten. When the Nationalist Government was in power it saw tho danger the Council would be in if Labour returned to the Treasury benches, and therefore passed a law to tho effect that tho Council should not go out of existence without a referendum. Mr. Lang repealed that Act. It was one of the first things his Government did. He anticipated that tho Council would throw out the repeal Bill, but on the contrary ,the Council signed what appeared to be its own deatli warrant. Almost immediately a number of the Councillors applied to tho Court for an injunction restraining tho President from submitting the Act for Boyal Assent—and tho Courts have granted that injunction. In short, the High Court has decided by a majority that the law requiring the referendum is the "prior law" and could not be altered. SERIOUS MATTER. The decision is a serious' matter for the Government, which has now placed before the Lower House its major legislative proposals, including far-reaching amendments to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and a Bill to provide :i general reduction of interest as paid by tho State on local loans, and for mortgages, time payment purchases, and the like. It is practically certain that the Council will obstruct both those important measures, and at a meeting a number of members of the Council decided on the tactics they will follow. In the ease of the new Arbitration Bill, which is now being rushed through the Legislative Assembly, they have decided to refer it to a Select Committee. The same course may be adopted with the Boduction of Interest Bill. This will be another clever tactical move, for if the Council rejected these important policy, measures it is felt that Mr. Lang would have a good case if he appealed to the Governor to swamp tho Council with Labour supporters. If tho Council merely refers the Bills to Select Committees he will not be able to claim that the Government has been thwarted by tho Council.

It is by no means certain that the Council will even discuss the Reduction of Interest Bill. As soon as it is brought before the Council the point will be raised that it is unconstitutional in that it deals with banking, which is purely a matter for Commonwealth control. The President (Sir John Peden) will be called upon to give a ruling on this point, and as he is a lawyer of outstanding ability his decision will carry a great deal of weight. Owing to tho importance of the issues involved his verdict is being awaited with great interest. It is feared that if tho Reduction of Interest Bill bocomes law capital will bo driven from the State, which will then be in a more parlous condition even than it is today.