COUNTRY VERSUS CITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20819, 11 March 1931, Page 11

COUNTRY VERSUS CITY.

NEW SOUTH WALES CONFLICT.

the; breakaway movement.

EXTRAORDINARY ENTHUSIASM. [from oub own correspondent.] SYDNEY, March 6. War has definitely been declared in New South Wales—the country versus Sydney. The country has never been frijndly to the vast metropolis, but never be)ore has the challenge been so direct as it is to-day. And never before have conditions in the country been in such a sorry plight as they are to-'day. Or two remarkable meetings held last Saturday the most amazing took place at, Waijga, the centre of that vast' and rich province of Kiverina, to the south-west of Sydney. Amid thunderous applause 10, COO people, thoroughly representative of '.lie area concerned, carried a resolution by which they demanded elimination of Government extravagance and, if necessary, the right to govern themselves as a separate State under the British Crown. Each resolution was carried to the accompaniment of cheers, the waving ■ of hats and the tooting of hundreds of motor horns. The scene was one <|f the most memorable the State has ever witnessed. Determination of Speakers. It is certain that there was a determined ring about the speeches. For instance, take the speech of the president of the great conference, Mr. E. F. Lusher, a man who has-never taken any-active part in the politics oi the State—a man unknown to-the masses of Sydney. What, lie had to say may bo summarised as follows: "To-day is your day. From towns nn:l farms you are assembled in your thousands to raise a voice of mighty protest. To-day you who need a pound mora than ever before cannot borrow a single sh-Jling, and the collapse of the primary producer involves everybody. The Government is doing nothing but scheming, to carry out the dictates of a certain class. You have attended meetings and passed resolutions, but has any one of those resolutions been recognised?

"No part of Australia is more lawabiding or more eager to uphold the Confit tution than Iliverina. Bub we have 110 voice ia the Government. The Labour Government seems to bo legislating for Sydney industrialists. Is that constitutional ? All Sydney Governments, Labor r and anti-Labour, have been dominated by Sydney influences, and they have proved cankers in the body politic of Australia. The time has come when the growth of Sydney at the expense of the country must be stopped. We are prepared to pay taxes, but we are entitled by right tc proper representation. Australians always stand for a fair deal, but we are not getting it now. The State Government to-day is dominated by men who are not Australians, who have no Australian ideals, and who are out to underline Australia in loyalty. Secession will b'j the last resort if all other meann of getting satisfaction for the country ff.il," The Meeting at "Armidale.

While the Wagga meeting was in propress new State delegates attended a special convention at Armidale, the centra of the Northern district, and formulated plans for a new State, to be known as New England. This convention went so far as to set up a provisional executive should the New South Wales Government, under the guidance of Mr. Lang, default. There were a few dissentients only to a motion which empowered the jDrovisional executive to take what action it deemed necessary, but the vote in favour of the" new State principle was unanimous. The delegates included many Federal and State members of Parliament and was a personal triumph for the former Federal Treasurer, Dr. Page, head ol: the Country Party, who for some weeks now has been organising the North. Dr. Page put his case vigorously. Ha .•laid that during the time he was Treasurer he laboured to make Australia's financial •.losition impregnable. He told of the creation of the national debt sinking fund to repay Australia's total debt in 150 years. He told of the formation of the Loan Council, to co-ordinate State and Federal borrowing. He told of the financial agreement by which the whole of the debt of the States would be repaid ii.n 53 years. He told of the alteration of the constitution of the Commonwealth Bank to place it beyond political control. " North Must Cut Adrift." However, Labour had raided the sinking fund, defied the Loan Council, threatened the Bank Board, and now repudiation and inflation of the currency were being openly advocated, said Dr. Page. The question %vas whether the people of northern New South Wales, who had never been responsible for Labour Governments, were going to die qnietly, without a struggle. The future of the nation was at stake, and it seemed to him that the north must cut adrift as a protest against repudiation and inflation, for both policies spelt ruin to the producer. New South Wales, under Mr. Lang, would become the outlaw State of New South Wales. The people would be known as New South Welchers.

"Are wo in the North going to bttcoma outlaws ?" asked Dr. Page. "Rather should we organise this compact northern area into a self-goveritfng unit, demand recognition from the Federal Government on the ground that we intend to obey the Federal law and Constitution, honour our obligations and pay our debts. Th<m wa could hold our. heads high above our fellow citizens and the peoples of the world as an honest country." And now the North and Soutii are allies in a battle against Sydney. Few people believe that a new State will be the outcome, but they do know that the country, having found its voice, will bo heard. There may be abuse at first, especially from Mr. Lang, but in the end the Governments, to repeat an expression often used by the campaigners, "will have to sit up and take notice."