POLITICAL SQUABBLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17844, 27 July 1921, Page 7

POLITICAL SQUABBLES.

NEW SOUTH WALES LABOUR. ME. STOEEY'S PEEDICAMENT. [FROM ODB OWN COSBESFONDEirr.] SYDNEY. July 13. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. John Storey, who went away on a world tour six months ago, partly for health reasons and partly to try to borrow a few millions in London, is duo back this week. About half a dozen different kinds of welcome—a Parliamentary dinner, a £üblic welcome, a civic reception, a about Party welcome —are waiting fop himPolitically, Labour is welded together in this State by the New South Wales Executive of the Australia Labour Party, briefly referred to as the A.L.P. This is a powerful and most aggressive body, which controls the Labour Party in the State Parliament, virtually appoints the Lord Mayor of Sydney {bo is at present the president of the A.L.P.), and telis the Labour aldermen, who ar» in the majority in the City Council, what to do. The A.L.P, is controlled by tho militants, under Alderman Lambert (Lord Mayor), and the militants quarrel frequently and. enthusiastically with a. minority party in the A-L-P., who are the moderates, under Mr. Catts, a member of the Federal Parliament. Wnen the date of the State Premier's return was announced, Mr. Catts promptly formed a non-party committee of welcome, and arranged a public meeting in the Town Hall to greet Mr. Storey. Thi.-. gave great oSence to the militants. They refused to have anything to do with Mr. Catts, proceeded to arrange a public meeting of their own to welcome Mr. Storey, and also set their Tammany machine in motion to prevent the Catts faction having the use of the Town Hall. The< situation threatened to develop into a shrieking iarce. with the Lord Mayor and Mr. Catts fighting for the possession of Mr. Storey in order to welcome him. But better counsels finally prevailed, and tho two factions yesterday agTeed to combine for welcoming purpo&es. But that incident shows to what Mr. Storey i 3 returning — a bitter quarrel with the A.L.P., the Labour Government holding on to office with a majority of one, and he himself so ill, in I spite of his trip, that he cannot hold tho I Premiership for very long. Mr. Storey is | a moderate and a strong man. He is the { or.li? moderate who could control the uni ruly A.L.P. If he retires—and it se«m» ; he must.—the filling of the vacancy will 1 cause surh a row within the A LP. that j a general election will become very likely. The A.L.P. wiJl try to get an extremis i Premier in charge, and the Parliamentary j Labour Party, which ss mostly moderate, ! will fi-ht against that I Poor New South Wales ' Is it any I that the taxation per head hert; ls ; nearly four times as much as it is in Vicj toria?