NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 172, 11 October 1927, Page 1

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

NEW PREMIER AN EX-AUCKLANDER PRE-ELECTION SENSATION—POLICE CHIEF RESIGNS MR. THOMAS RAINSFORD BAVIN, Leader of the N ationalist Party in New South Wales, and probably the next Premier of the State, is & former Aucklander. There is little change in the position of the parties from that recorded yesterday after the election. News has come of a pre-election sensation in the State in the resignation of the Commissioner of Police because of political interference. By Cable. —Press Association.- — Copyright.

Reed. 9.5 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. A T the conclusion of the counting of the postal votes to hand, the Pact parties still had 47 seats. Labour had lost one to the doubtful seats, making 36. Here the Nationalists have a majority of only one, and the preferences have yet to be apportioned of the five doubtfuls. Two at least should be won by the Pact parties, the Nationalists and the Country Party.—A. and N.Z.

POLITICAL INTERFERENCE

POLICE HEAD RESIGNS

MAY CHANGE HIS MIND A pre-election sensation was the resignation of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. James Mitchell, owing to political interference. It is just possible now, however, that with- the defeat of Mr. Lang, the Commissioner will withdraw his resignation. Interesting developments are anticipated. Both Mr. Mitchell and the Ministerial chief of the police, Mr. Mark Gosling, Chief Secretary, refused to state whether Mr. Mitchell had actually resigned or not. Mr. Gosling merely stated that he knew nothing of the matter, and added that he would “regret the: loss of such a capable officer.” The Government was not anxious to give undue publicity to Mr. Mitchell’s resignation, or the reasons. For many months Mr. Mitcliell has found it difficult to carry on under the changing condition!! of Mr. Lang’s administration. The State Premier had been so dominated by Mr. Garden and his Trades Hall friends that Mr. Mitchell found his authority undermined. For the head of a police force, second to none iti the Empire, to find his discipline weakened, and his own power growing less under the administration of the Labour Government, was a serious matter. Concrete evidence of the “whiteanting” of the force was provided early in the history of the Government by certain administrative matters. Then the case of the appointment of Sergeant Martin came into public prominence. The appointment of Sergeant Martin was objected to by the Police Association. The Chief Secretary followed the recommendation of Mr. Mitchell, and appointed Sergeant Martin. Immediately Mr. Gosling became the object of attack, and the Police Association went over his head to the more pliable Mr. Lang. SOP TO POLICE Under the last Labour Government, when Mr. Lazzarini was Chief Secretary, Mr. Mitchell found that lie was assisted in his administration. But. with the advent of the “stop-gap Ministry,” the position changed, and Mr. Gosling was unable to follow the course his own judgment dictated. Mr. Lang intervened to see that the Police Union governed the police force.

Matters came to a head recently, when the Police Association secured an increase in pay to the tune of £85,000 a year. The Premier, and the executive of the Police Association, stage-managed a meeting of the association, at which the Premier appeared. and made his announcement of more money for the police, at the cost of the taxpayer. CRITICAL POSITION Mr. Mitchell was ignored, and the control of the force was handed over to the Police Association. The executive of the union realised the supreme position in which it had been put by the head of the Govern ment. The departure of Mr. Mitchell ushered in a critical state of affairs. For years Mr. Mitchell ably directed the police. He rose from the ranks, and successive Governments found nothing but praise for his administration. It was left to the Lang regime to alter things.

Under any but a Lang Government it would have been impossible to hold up the city and disorganise industry and traffic with a Sacco-Vanzetti demonstration. Mr. Garden took control of the city on that day, and the police were powerless to intervene. Politicians controlled the police for ;e. Therefore Mr. Garden and his associates had to go unmolested. The vacancy in the position of Police Commissioner, it was said, will enable the Government to give con sideration to the question of appoint ing a political board to control th€> force. This, however, is extremely unlikely under Mr. Bavin's administration.

Mr. Thomas Rainsford Bavin, leader of the Nationalist Party in New south Wales, who will probably bd the next Pre • mier of that State, is an ex-New Zen - lander. He was born at Kaiapoi in IS - 1 . and educated at Newton East School and at Auckland Grammar School, at Newing • ton Col-ege and at Sydney U niversity. Hu father was the Rev. Rainsford Bavin, minister ot Grafton Roiid Methodist Church, who was very well known as a leader of the Methodists. Mr. Bavin was called to the Bar, and for a short time taught law in the University of Tasmania. From 1901-4 he was secretary to the Prime Minister of Australia. In 1917 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Gordon and in L 920 for Rydc, which he still represents. He became Leader of the National Par :y in 1925. He was Attorney-General of New Soutn Wales, 1922-25, and was n:ade a K.C. in 1924. In 1901 he married Miss Edyth Winchcombe. Since 1925 he has been Leader of the Opposition in the State Parliament.

The Mayor, Mr. W. C. Ccldicutt, at last evening’s meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council, said that Mr. Bavin w?s an old Onehunga boy, and he moved that a congratulatory telegram be sent to Mr. Bavin. Mr. T. Moir seconded the motion, which was carried.

PRESS OPINIONS

ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS PLEASED WITH RESULT LONDON, Monday. “The Times” says the result of the New South Wales general election was eagerly awaited, outside the borders of the State because it was largely a trial of strength between rival ideas of government. The issue was whether legislation' should be controlled by some body outside Parliament. M:r. Lang’s willingness to be a left wing Premier responsible to extra-Parliaments ry bodies was the chief cause of his victory in the Labour Paity and of his defeat in the State elections. The Fsderal Government will now enjoy the co-operation of the chiei State Government.

Referring to the possible supprsssion of the Sydney City Council, “The Times” says the outcome of the present election will be to the double advantage of Australia, if it discredits the noisy shortsightedness, and strengthens the hands of those who are working for the scientific promotion of economic growth. "A REAL RE -I EF”

The “Morning Post,” commenting on Mr. Lang’s defeat, says the chief issue in the contest was whether the Government. was to be controlled by or for the people, or whether its policy was to be shaped in the interests of one class by Ministers who regarded themselves as primarily responsible to organisations outside the Legislature If Mr. Lang had been victorious the situation would have been similar to that Britain would have been faced with if the general strike had been successful, and if the British Parliament had had to capitulate to Mr A. J. Cook, and the legislation and administration had been directed by Ministers who were controlled by the minority movement. Though New South Wales is not Australia, a victory for Mr. Lang, says the “Post,” would hare meant much outside New South Wales. Hence the Prime Minister,’ Mr. Bruce, did not hesitate to warn the Australian public w-hE.t was at stake. It is impossible to ; pretend that the frustration of Mr I.ang . and what he stood for is not a real I relief.—A. and N.Z.