The Hawera Star. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1933. REJECTION OF MR. LANG.

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 20 February 1933, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1933. REJECTION OF MR. LANG.

Delivered every evening by 5 o’clock in Hawera, Manaia, Kaupokonui, Otakeho, Oeo, Pihama, Opunake, Normanby. Okaiawa, Eltham, Ngaere, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Avvatuna, Te Kiri, Mahoe, Lowgarth, Manutahi, Kakaramea, AltonHurleyville, Patea, Wheuuaknra. Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara. Ohangai. Meremere. Fraser Road and Ararata.

The rejection by the Metropolitan Labour Party Conference in New SouthWales of Mr. Lang’s’ proposals respecting the policy for the next. Federal election has been interpreted- by the “Sydney Morning Herald”- as tantamount to the -termination of that versatile politician’s dictatorship of the -State Laboui Party. Mr. Lang’s ipfluenee has waned considerably since tiro last- State- elections in which, his party was justly overwhelmed in consequence of the disastrous effect of his two years’ tenure of office. Members of the party, realising the injury he had done to it, had, after a- period of repression during which ho ruled so tyrannically and so vindictively as to smother any show of opposition to him, found courage to whisper their belief that his- power would have to be broken. Mr. Lang himself had been cherishing the ambition of stepping from -the position of State dictator of the Australian Labour Party to that of leader of the party in Commonwealth politics and, with it,

of Premier of Australia. The part he has taken at the party conferences in the past few weeks was a reasonably plain indication that he regarded the I time as ripe for his entrance into the larger field of politics. He went into the conferences with liis own plan of the policy upon which the party should 1 contest the next Federal election. It was that the election should be fought on the issues of unification of Australia and the Federal control of credit. There are, of course, a great many people in Australia, and out of Australia, who consider that a policy of unification would be in the interests of the Commonwealth. They do so because they are impressed with the wastefulness of a system under which seven Governments have to be maintained, each of them with its own costly administrative machinery. It is apparently not. so much upon this ground as with the idea of the vast power which he would be able to wield in a unified Australia if ever the Conimonveaith should be so unfortunate as to have him in the office of Prime Minister that Mr Lang favours a plan of unification.’ And if, coupled with unification, he could secure control of the credit of the country there would be absolutely no limit to his capacity for mischief. Socialisation of credit is a favourite theme just now in many circles, but-the notion that Australia could benefit, through the control of its credit being entrusted to a combination of politicians led by Mr. Lang is 'too fantatstic to be entertained by sober-mi'nded people. Air. Lang has long since fallen from the pedestal which he once occupied in public; if he is now. to lose caste within the Labour Party, this spectacular figure in the history of Australian polities may -well be on the slide to oblivion.