POLITICAL SENSATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19216, 4 January 1926, Page 10

POLITICAL SENSATION.

NEW SOUTH WALES CASE. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. " SWAMPING " OF THE CHAMBER [from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, Dec. 24. There has been no more serious or sensational development in New South Wales politics during the last decade than the week-end action of the State Labour caucus (which means the Stato Government), of deciding to " swamp " the Legislative Council —a nominee body—by appointing enough Labour representatives to ensure a Government majority in that House. The action was the outcome of the "iron hand" which the Legislative Council placed upon a number of cherished. Labour bills. These were rejected in toto, or so amended that their treatment called from the Premier, Mr. Lang, the remark that, they were returned to the Lower House as Nationalist legislation. The constitutional battle has been in progress for the last- eight or ten weeks, and in that time at least a dozen Labour bills have been treated to tho whittling knife. The Opposition has made no secret of its delight of the strong manner in which the Legislative Council has acted. Probably these " sniggers of satisfaction," as Mr. Lang styled them, caused him more than anything else to determine to carry out his threat of manufacturing a Labour majority in the nomineo Chamber. Behind Closed Doors. The story of tho " swamping " is soon told. Members of the Labour caucus were summoned to a special meeting last Saturday morning. Behind closed doors members were informed of the meeting's object —to select 35 nominees from a list of 147 applicants sent down by tho Australian Labour Party State executive. This list of 147 had been cut down, from over 300 by the executive. The selection of the 35 was done by exhaustive ballot, and on the first count 19 women candidates wore among those rejected, possibly owing to the fact that for a woman to sit, a bill would have to be passed providing for their eligibility. Twenty-seven nominees were chosen on that first ballot. Of the 120 names left, 96 received less than 14 votes out of a possible of 47, and their: names were omitted from the second ballot, on which four nominees were chosen. The remaining four nominees were chosen on a third ballot. The news made a sensation for tho Snnday newspapers, and tho selection of the nominees and tho Government's determination to urge tho Governor to appoint them were everywhere wi.dely discussed —with jubilation by Labotfr supporters, with chagrin and anger by their political opponents. On Monday the Executive Council met, and the Governor, Sir Dudley do Chair, signed a minute appointing 25 of tho selected 35 to the Council. He had indicated to Mr. Lang before the caucus meeting on Saturday that this was as far as he was prepared to go, but tho other ton were chosen in the hope that he might be persuaded to do all that Labour" desired. But even before agreeing to appoint the 25, the Governor, it is understood, communicated with the Colonial Office in London, and secured its sanction for the courso he followed. Well-known Labour Supporters. The appointees, include a number of well-known Labour supporters and workers, including a large proportion of men from the . country strongholds of Labour. Among tho better-known are Mr. S. Hickey, who was at one time Spoaker of the Legislative Assembly for a short period; Mr. W. Carey, secretary of tho Stato branch of the Australian Labour Party; Mr. J. Minahan, a boot manufacturer and brother of Mr. P. J. Minahan, M.L.A.; Mr. C. J. Bridges, general manager of Sargents, Ltd., the big Sydney catering firm; and Mr. A. F. Yaeger, for many years secretary of tho EightHours' Day Committee. The 25 appointees were the 27 chosen by caucus on tho first ballot, minus Mr. Lavelle, a former member of the House of Representatives, who was last on the list, and Mr. Jack O'Dea, one of the biggest bookmakers in Sydney, who was 18th on the list. Tho latter's rejection has caused much bitterness among his caucus supporters. It is certain that the Government will now recommit those either rejected or stringently amended in the past couple of months. Parliament adjourned on Tuesday, and will reassemble about the middle of January. It is then expected that the bitterness which has marked tho present session, of the Assembly will also be a pronounced feature of the debates of the. usually staid and proper Upper House. But Labour will have its way, even if it is a " brutal way," as Mr. Bavin, Leader of tho Opposition, has doscribed the tactics of the Labour Government.