LABOUR PARTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19952, 20 November 1926, Page 23

LABOUR PARTY.

IN NEW SOUTH WALES. DISSENSION AND STRIFE. MR LANG’S POSITION. (From Our Own Cc—jespondent.) SYDNEY, November 11. A poor man who suddenly becomes rich often finds that riches do not always bring added happiness to his life, and sometimes eliminates what happiness he had when he was poor. The history of the Labour Party in New South Wales has been somewhat akin to that. In adversity, the party has time and time proved itself solid and loyal. Given power, internecine warfare splits its ranks, and the place-hunters divide it in twain and halve its strength. Returned to power last year with an absolute majority, it seemed that the party was faced with happy times, but for 12 months it has been split by factional fights. The Parliamentary Labour Party is controlled by the executive of the State branch of the Australian Labour Party. When M.- Lang became Premier 18 months ago, this executive was controlled by the Miners’ Federation, whose chiefs were Messrs A. C. Willis and J. M. Baddelcy, both of whom became members of Mr Lang’s Ministry. The federation had pained control only after a bitter fight with the Australian Workers’ Union, which hitherto had been the supreme industrial force in the fortunes of political labour Between the two major forces was the small, but powerful, group of extremists, most of whom were avowed followers of Moscow. This group practically hold the balance of power, and their favour was sought by botli groups, while both groups, to save the name of Labour before the moderate labour voting bulk, publicly disowned domination by or alliance with them. At the last conference of the party, held at Easter time, the extremist group, by some change in the attitude of the miners’ representatives towards them, transferred their support to the A.W.U. group, with the result that the A.W.U. regained control of the executive.

Mr Lang’s faction in the Parliamentary Labour Party, or what is known as the city or industrialist faction, immediately roidised that it would be under the irksome control of the executive. This and the other faction, the A. >*.U. supporters, representing mostly country electorates—eventually became unfriendly Mr Lang snubbed those of his Ministers who belonged to_ the faction opposed to him Tt was his faction then that went to the extremist influences for support, mainly at the behest of Mr Lang, who found that his leadership was threatened. His extremist friends did not desert him, A counting of heads revealed that probably there would be a slight majority for the anti-Lang faction. How the battle was fought out in caucus is now famous. To the precincts of Parliament House, where caucus was holdinsr its meeting, trooped the extremists’ representatives, headed Dv Mr “Jock” Garden and other militant unionists, and thev openly buttonholed waverers and threatened or inveigled sufficient for Mr Lang to scrape home with confirmation of his leadership, though the Lang faction received set-backs in its choice for other office-holders. Momentarily it seemed that there was to be a healing of wounds, but statements made shortly afterwards indicated that the battle was still on. The Australian Workers’ Union was still intent in setting up Its own representatives in the nlaces of power within the Labour ranks. But the extremists, now thoroughlv brought into tho fight, determined not to allow the matter to rest there. Mr Garden, declaring Mr Lang to be the best Labour Premier there ever was. proceeded to formulate a scheme for the bringing about of new rules for the party which would make Mr Lang’s position secure. M r Lang’s .faction proclaims that the intended alterations will not allow Communists into the Labour Partv. The A.W.U. spokesmen aver that that it is their sole intention. They say that the new rides will seriously limit the activities of the Labour Party, and eventuallv -educe it to a purely industrial party. They base this view on the fact that the new rules propose to alter the mapper of electing the executive from election by open conference to election from nominees >ubmittted by metropolitan labour leagues, country league', and industrial unions. This would result, savs the A.W.U. (whose chief strength is in the country) in ‘aking away undnlr the right of country leagues. “The rules,” said one of its spokesmen this week, “appear to be designed to Sovietisc the A.L.P. in a manner utterly repugnant to Australian sentiment.” This same nnthoritv says that one of the new rules will allow Communists to become members of the Labour Party as long as thev do not oppo'o selected Labour candidates at parliamentary and municipal elections. The -conference will begin to-morrow

night. Country delegates are hoping that it ■will end before Sunday nicht. for they say that if it continues over the week-end many country will have to leave Sydney to return to their iohs, and thus learn control of the conference in the hands of the industrialists. The battle is likely to he hitter. Proha hi" nothing that will he done will heal ' the breach. Most observers think that the conference will bring abont one of the greatest crises in the history of the party.