The Labour Way

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 8, 21 December 1925, Page 5

The Labour Way

Mr Lang’s Proceedings SWAMPINC THE COUNCIL. TWENTY-FIVE NEW APPOINTMENTS. IBy Cable—-Presa Association—Copyright.) (Received 21. 10.30 a.m.) Sydney, Dec. 2.1. The Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, has been advised by the Governor that the latter will agree to the appointment of 25 new* members to the Legislative Council. An Executive Council meeting will be held to-day or to-morrow, when the appointments will be made and the new members .subsequently sworn in. Mr. Lang will approach the Governor to-day and will submit 35 names and press for their appointment. Each new member of the Council will be required to take a pledge that he will vote for the abolition of the Council. A bill for this purpose is being brought down next session. A move has also been launched by a section of the Labour party to abolish the office of State Governor when tho present Governor’s term expires. With the additio-nal appointments to the Council the Government will have an absolute majority of throe iu that cJirtinber. Mr. Bavin states he could not bring himself to believe that such a staggering blow was to be struck at the constitution. The State Government had no shadow of mandate for such legislation, and to make such an unprecedented number of appointments to the Council merely to force through proposals which were not oven supported bv more than a small proportion of pledged Labour representatives in the Upper House itself, would destroy the whole balance of the constitution and enable the present Government to either abolish the Upper House or force upon the country any other wild amt reckless programme which had not been sanctioned by the electors. NEWSPAPERS IN PROTEST Both morning papers strongly protest against the proposad swamping ot l( P[a.ioH, oq k L ‘lP'htoj OApuisiSoT. oqa says: “The position of the Governor in the matter is one of great difficulty. We are sure he has not arrived at his decision without giving the matter the consideration it deserved, but we assert. with respect, that that decision should not have been made. believe tnat it was not only an error of judgment in itself, but will assuredly prove the cause of grievous trouble 111 tne in Lure. We can only register our protest against a decision which has made this deplorable consummation of Government tactics possible, and behave we are voicing tho opinion of the majority our fellow citizens. The “Telegraph” describes it ns debauching the Council, and adds: “This is what the representative of the Crown is asked to become a party to the revolutionising of the Council, for there are men who would refuse to become responsible for such an net, even though the consequences meant the resignation of the most coveted official position in the world. The proper course is to compel the Government, before attempting to destroy the constitution, to get the considered mandate of the people for so doing. There are circumstances which invest even the actions of the Governor h ith a moral responsibility of which no official routine can relieve him