THE LANG FACTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21530, 30 December 1931, Page 4

THE LANG FACTION

WHAT NEW SOUTH WALES HOPES (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December, 24. Now that the hysteria, the passion, and emotions of political battle have died down, New South Wales, taking it by and large, is hoping that the election result is the writing on the wall foi Langism at the next State that it may serve either to modify Mr Lan legislative programme, or precipitate a crisis in his own party, and force a Stat election before the ordinarily appointed 11 This is the general expression of hope, hnf since on a broad electoral basis, Lang has’far less to feel sick about over the election than Mr Scullm or Mr Ihe dore, it will not be improbable it the State Labour Party, or Lang faction, remains a cohesive, homogeneous force, goes ahead without Modification of its New South Wales policy, so far as the Legis lative Council will permit it, lelying solid support at the next State election on a measure of reaction against the Lyons Government in the intervening two years’ Ijfe of the Lang Government. On the Federal election .result the outlook is, of course, not bright for a P el " petuation of Langism i in New South Wales after the next State poll, but to assert definitely that it connotes the annihilation of its forces is to blink the posbi bilities.' The Lang faction admittedly picked its seats at the Federal, election, no doubt for propaganda and the psje-o-lon-ical influence of any success that it might obtain in them. It was larg: J |ue dole that won it support. Bi t it has tar more life in it politically to-day than the Theodore faction. Ihe fate of the Lank Government will now bo determined largely on how the Lyons Governmen shapes, and on its attitude, chiefly, towards social legislation and nrbUration reform The fate of New South Wales, in State politics, is now largely in tin. keeping of the Lyons Government. No matter the fate of Ins forces in final analysis of the ejectionu and in the constitution of the new ledcial iarlia ment—-and, on a comparative basis, oably in Dailey and in Cook, lie has nocome out of it so badly,, compared with the Scullin-Theodore faction—people who believe that Mr Lang is a spent force, in New South Wales are under-rating him. His hold may be only on a section—and not a negligible one at that-—but s s,a section which regards him, not merely as a political leader, but as a veritable god. Of, the ramifications of finance and its repercussions, not only on the body po itic, but on themselves as a class, they neither know nor wish to know anything. Bitterly as it has fought Mr Lang in its leading columns, the Sydney; Moini.u, Herald, with the fairness which has always characterised its reports, has acknowledged the ovations which have been the Premier. At Newtown, joi example Mr Lang had a reception which reminded one forcibly of the scenes during Prince of Wales’s visit. Edward P. was never more lionised in Australia than was Mr Lang at Newtown. The heart of an industrial area admittedly, the belief is that the big. body of workers have turned against him. . One finds it difficult to credit it, in an impartial survey. Out of the crowded Newtown town Hall where enthusiasts occupied even the open’ window spaces, Mr Lang walked into n black mass of thousands of cheeiinn- waving supporters, oalvoes ot tliunderoiis dicers again swept the scene when 1,0 entered his car, which found it difficult t0 ‘ negotiate the vast concourse. It was o cveat triumphal progress, no matter what one may believe of Mr Lang and Langism. The position at Dailey tchs its own story.