POLITICS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3240, 9 December 1930, Page 4

POLITICS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Mr. W. T. Lang', who swept New South Wales in the general elections with rash promises, now finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. He promised to find £50,000,000 of borrowed money; to maintain and perhaps increase the present standard of wages; and that growers would receive 7s. 6d. a bushel for their wheat. Mr. Lang promised help for the business men, the workers, and the farmers, and won the elections by a sweeping majority on these promises. Mr. Bavin, his predecessor in office, on the other hand, promised economy, sound finance, and stable government, and his promises were capable of fulfilment. The people preferred the shadow for the substance, but the shadow has now disappeared,

for Mr. Lang cannot obtain his millions, and therefore cannot pay a wheat subsidy, while it has been found that the country’s industries cannot pay the present standard of wages, much less give an increase. Mr. Lang must at least be given credit for initiation. In order to detract attention from his broken promises, he is striving for the abolition

of the Legislative Council, and has asked the Governor of the State to agree to the appointment of 40 new members in order that the Council would carry out his wishes for the abolition of the revising Chamber. Mr. Lang is repeating his policy of 1925 When he obtained the permission of the then Governor to appoint additional members to the Legislative Council for the purpose of voting that body out of existence. This led to a farcical situation. The new members refused to commit political suicide, and when a division was called for the abolition of the Council the newly appointed members abstained from taking part. The Governor of the State has refused permission for 40 new appointments, and Mr. Lang now finds himself in a corner. Under the present legislation a referendum

has to be taken before the Lgislative' Council can be abolished, and Mr. Lang contends that he has, through the recent elections, a mandate from the people to do this. It is reported that there has been a split in New South Wales Labour circles over Mr. Lang’s policy, and this may mean a return to sanity. The policy of the Government is dictated by the Labour caucus and not by the party in power. While such dictation is common in some parts of the United States, it is a new as well as a dangerous method of government for any British Dominion.