The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1931. WHOM THE GODS DESTROY

Southland Times, Issue 21362, 7 April 1931, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1931. WHOM THE GODS DESTROY

Mr Lang’s control of the Labour Party machine in New South Wales is too firm for the Federal Labour politicians to shake it; but there is some consolation in the fact that events, with Mr Lang assisting to shape them will deal with the repudiator, in spite of the weakness of Mr Scullin. Mr Lang has appeared with a socialization plan and he has the New South Wales conference’s approval of it; but the use of the phrase “three-year-plan” will awaken the public to the fact that it is a quaint, shadowy imitation of Russia, suggesting the bulk of Mr Lang as a pigmy Stalin, who is to execute the plan for the complete economic reorganization of the country. In the Easter conference, Mr Lang and his fellows have issued a challenge to the Australian Labour Party, and beyond that riven organization to the people of Australia, because it must not be thought that this mad scheme will be accepted in the Commonwealth. In New South Wales the secessionists are already active, and they are not likely to slacken their efforts to obtain release from Sydney’s domination, now they realize what Mr Lang, backed by Sydney, means. Mr Lang’s three-year-plan, beginning with the repudiation of interest to British bond-holders, cannot fit in the constitution of the Commonwealth, and if it does affect Federal affairs, Western Australia, which now tolerates the federation, will not hesitate to withdraw if withdrawal is possible. Sydney occupies a peculiar position in Australia. For years it has been developing in isolation, and growing more independent. It is the Prussia of Australia, and its arrogant Selfishness has been fed by successive Labour ministries, under whom the capital has dominated the

State "and has been jealously independent of its fellows in the Federal scheme. Mr Lang is the climax. The peculiar feature of this business is that the rank and file of the Labour Party are so blind to the noisy flaws of this Hyde Park Napoleon. Mr Theodore, who has good reason to know a record of failure when he sees one, has declared that Mr Lang in refusing to pay the State’s interests to British bondholders achieved nothing; but the Federal Treasurer might have gone further and said that Mr Lang has achieved nothing. He has promised many terrible things, but though he has been at the head of the Government twice he has not succeeded in redeeming one of his awful promises. His nearest approach to achievement was the effort to deprive British bond-holders of their interest, but the Federal Government spoilt that little plan. The Upper House of New South Wales thwarted Mr Lang and he promised to blot it out. The Upper' House is still there, and the demagogue is being invited by the State Governor to display his confidence in democratic government by appealing to the electors for a clear mandate to abolish the second chamber. Mr Lang has not accepted the challenge. It is surprising to find that such a pinchbeck statesman can be entrusted by any intelligent beings, however wild politically, with the execution of a plan such as the Easter confarence adopted. Probably Mr Lang has discovered the way to rivet their attention on the future so securely that they have no time to discover what he has not done. In political history there is no parallel for the Australian situation. The dominant political party is split into at least three sections, and two of them are led by men who have records of failures to recommend them. The Federal Government is led by a man who seems to be there because he' is not strong enough to get in the way of his lieutenant. Mr Theodore and Mr Lang glare at each other with eyes made fiery by ambitious jealousy and they are trampling the Labour Party as they wrestle, while Mr Scullin is a patient monument to a party already brutally murdered. The cheering facts are that Mr Lang, having failed to kill the credit of his country, has now committed hari-kari. There is no solution yet. These factions would do battle in the welter of a general election were Mr Bruce not in the background waiting to re-enter, and by his presence remind the Australian people that he was thrown out because he tried to prepare for the coming storm. Mr Bruce is coming back at the behest of his disillusionized countrymen just as Mr Coates is coming back in New Zealand, and when the Commonwealth election takes place the Lang faction will be repudiated because if Sydney is prepared to swallow his schemes Australia is not, and its distaste for Mr Lang will lead to the rejection of the Labour Party, lest the midget Stalin wriggle to Federal power through the side-door of the party caucus.