NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 4

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

Few people who have taken even a passing interest in Australian affairs will bo surprised at the resignation of tho New South Wales Ministry. With hardly a working majority when it took office last October, the Government lias been obviously in difficulties throughout its brief career. This has not been because it lacked a constructive policy of considerable attractiveness and merit, nor because it was confronted by a brilliant Opposition, but on account of internal disunion among its own following, and, it may be, even in tho Cabinet. Tho Labour party in NowSouth Wales has split upon the rock that always divides communities—the most vital of subjects in practically all tho countries of the world. The trouble has come over tho land question.. In obedience to the demand of labour organisations, the Government had announced a policy very akin to land nationalisation. Wo do not mean that anything was proposed such as is apparently feared in this country by tho president of tho New Zealand Farmers’ Union. It was not suggested that the two hundred million acres in tbe State should bo mathematically parcelled out among tho million and a half (or thereabouts) of men, women, and children, giving to each one —squatter, dairyman, barber, factory girl, bookmaker, or infant, in arms—his or her hundred and fifty-acre allotment. But tho declared policy of tho Government was that the Crown lands should be disposed of only on loase, and, moreover, the Ministry intended, if it remained in power, to repeal tho Crown Lands Amendment Act of 190 S, known as “the Conversion Act,” which, makes provision whereby occupiers under various forms of leases may purchase their holdings. In pursuance of tho policy officially announced last October, that tho granting of the freehold of Crown lands would bo discontinued, the Workers’ Dwellings Bill, forming part of the programme for tho session now interrupted, proposed to establish the State as permanent landlord. Mr Wado challenged tho Government on the issue of land tenure, and although ho was beaten •by five votes, tho clash of parties shook the Government following severely, strengthened the Opposition by two Independents subsequently crossing to Mr Wade’s side, and led two country Labour members to resign. Tho Deputy Governor having declined to prorogue Parliament until after the by-elections, the Ministry came to a standstill—and resigned. The chances seem to point to a general election as probable, with the question of freehold versus leasehold as the dominant issue. Whatever the result of such an appeal to the constituencies, there is surely sufficient land in Now South Wales, equitably distributed, to meet the requirements of all classes but monopolists. The freehold and leasehold tenures ought to bo both applicable for tho profitable settlement of the Stated but there is little prospect of real progress in that direction under existing circumstances. With nearly 40 per cent, of tho population crowded into ono city and little more than four persons to the square mile in the whole of the State, the need for settlement and occupation is too clamant for the politicians to continue their present quarrels with safety. Tho Minister of Lands stated the other day that he had twenty million acres of land almost ready to offer for selection, but instead of settling this and other areas Parliament disagrees over a very minor detail.