BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP SEA

Evening Post, Volume 32, Issue 32, 6 August 1931, Page 12

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP SEA

When Mr. Lang's pioposal to reduce the salaries of all the Public servants of New South Wales to £500 was first mooted,-it seemed so fantastically absurd as to suggest that it must be.intended as a "tv quoque" or a vindictive threat or a very clumsy practical joke.- But by the time his obedient 'friends in the Legislative Assembly had carried a Public^ Service Salaries Bill embody-ing-this prbposal -through \all- its stages and passed it on to the Legislative Council, it, was time for others •tojtreat the, proposal as seriously as 'the'■-Assembly' Had •treated it But Svhile ready, to treat the Bill seriously, JtlieXegisla'tive Council was Unable to treat'-h-favoulrably. Its treatment has, on'the contrary/ been so drastic that ;tHe*H'iaugh, is unmistakably, on Mr. 'Laijg J jthis' l<time.''.' Drastic is indeed "aVequivocal term. ~',The taxation wnich.the Legislative"; Council has carried'by way o^amendmen't to Mr. Bang's Bill is so, severe that Mir. Lang hnnself'wouldjiiot'have' dared to sug; gekt'it- or have" dreamt of -suggesting lit-, a, year agol". 'In September, last Mr/Lang committed his party to re"instating the 8 1-3 per cent, which the iniquitous Bavin Government had taken from the salaries of the Public Service. No attempt has been made to fulfil a promise on the strength of which the Public Service organisations threw their weight into politics" in support of Mr. Lang and brought him thousands of votes. But yesterday we were told that the cuts carried by the Council will begin' at 15 "per cent, on1 salaries between £100 and £200; by gradual increments will \ amount to 22£ per cent between £600 and £800; and \vill '-reach a maximum of'32i per cent, on salaries above £1500. We were also told that these proposals were substantially those of'the Public Servants', own scheme, and that, though, they would effect a saving of £1,850,000, Mr.^Lang condemned the result-as grossly£snadequate. Seeing that his i own'/ "proposal of' a > £500 maximum for all salaries would have been equivalent to a' of 33 1-3 'arid 50 per cent on present salaries >ol £750 and -£1000 respectively, and on -the Chief Justice's salary of £3500 would have represented a.reduction of more than 85 per cent, Mr. Lang had a right to complain »'of the feebleness of the Council's Alternative when measured by his own standard. And though a year ago £1,850,000 would have seemed a huge sum to be saving by cuts of this kind, it is evidently far short of- what he had been expecting to get, and almost a negligible tiifle in comparison with what he needs. To suffer this humiliation at the hands of< the Legislative Council, against which he has pursued a ceaseless and futile vendetta for years, must be a bitter pill indeed.'

' Another, of Mr. Lang's enemies is also taking the opportunity of making itself unpleasant. lie has always had a poor opinion of the Loan Council, but having retired from it in order to attempt the impossible task of raising a loan for his Slate without its help, he has been, graciously pleased to return. But even so1 the Council is not prepared to oblige him unconditionally. According to a message from Sydney yesterday, ''. > - > well-informed circles' stato that Mi. Lang's position is desperate. He must iave half a million from the Loan Council this week in order to pay Government employees, on Thursday, and the Loan Council, before granting more money, intends to insist ,that his economy plan must fee in. full working order.

As in his dealings with-1 die Legislative Council, so in those with the Loan Council and the Premiers' Conference, the wheel has swung a full circle. At the conclusion of the Premiers' Conference in Melbourne on the 10th June, Mr. Lang accepted its programme of economy and leIrcnchment, but xn i

with tho lescrvation that unless the loan conversion -was entirely successlul he, on behalf of New South' Walos, ■would, not undertake to "cut public expenditure 'ov recommend any;, form of wages-reduction. That impudent condition he was compelled 'to'withdraw a few weeks ago in order:to,,get the necessary help to save NewJSputh Wales from bankruptcy. AndjiJ^j^ that bankruptcy - threatens 'again j {he Loan Council carries the matter and 'insists that the money he needs will not be forthcoming until his economy plan is in full working order.

But" that,1 Mi". Lang will argue, is, just what the Legislative Council is making it impossible for him to do. "With the Legislative Council on the one side and the Loan Council on the other, Mr. Lang seems indeed to be between the devil and the deep sea, and the result may be, as the "Labour Daily" suggests, thai there may be little or no pay. for the Public Service to-day*