The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1927. A LABOUR BREACH

Southland Times, Issue 20200, 10 June 1927, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1927. A LABOUR BREACH

Every little while Labour politics in Australia become agitated and a series of expulsions follows. The party wins an election and takes up the work of Government, but before long heresy hunts begin and the leaders find themselves engaged in bitter warfare with their own colleagues. This has occurred several times, and in New South Wales the experience has been particularly hectic. The latest development is the collapse of the Lang Ministry. Trouble started, of course, with the battle when the proposals to abolish the Legislative Council were introduced. Mr Lang then was uttering terrible threats, threatening the Governor of the State and promising to punish the newspapers that did not agree with him, but several members of the party began to show signs of uneasiness and before long Mr Lang was faced with definite revolt. Dissension grew and the efforts of the Australian Labour Party to patch up the troubles only made the position worse. Mr

Lang reorganised his Ministry and prepared for an election, but the split in the party was so decided that he could not approach an appeal to the electors with any hope of success. The opponents of the Labour Party viewed the dispute with evident satisfaction and their pleasure must be increased by the series of expulsion resolutions by which the various sections have repudiated each other. During the early wrangling the dictatorial attitude of the Premier was revealed, but later it was shown that the Cabinet had fallen out over a proposal to appoint a Child Welfare official at a salary of £1,200 a year, because immediately after the reconstruction of his Ministry Mr Lang announced the appointment. Mr Lang began by repudiating one or two members who disagreed with his attitude, but now we find the Australian Executive of the Party repudiating Mr Lang, who is linked with Mr Willis as an arch-traitor. At the same time there appears .to be a rumbling of rebellion behind Mr Mutch, who has succeeded to the leadership of the official group supported by the Federal Executive. The point of this dispute is evidently the desire on the part of Mr Mutch and his friends to patch up the troubles so that the party can face the electors in a friendly union. There is opposition to this from the ranks of those who want to see the rebels summarily kicked out. Whatever happens the Labour Party in New South Wales is facing defeat and the effects of this rumpus will be felt beyond the borders of the State.