Civil far Talk

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18258, 20 February 1931, Page 7

Civil far Talk

MR LANG AND THE LAW

MILLIONAIRE PRESS ASPERSED.

GOVERNMENT WILL DEAL WITH IT

United Prer« Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright.

SYDNEY, Feb. 19

In the New South Wales Legislative Assembly to-day a Nationalist member, Mr M. L. Jarvie, directed the attention of the Premier, Mr J. T. Lang, to an editorial article In the Sydney Morning Herald, which stated that if Mr Lang persisted in his mad course of repudiation, ..secession was a possibility and civil war might result.

Mr Jarvie asked whether the Premier would take steps to purge the good name of New South Wales. Mr C. A. Kelly, Labour member for Portland, asked whether the Premier would consider the desirability of suppressing newspapers which maligned the Government and members of the House.

In replying Mr Lang said the leading articles in the journal, owned by a millionaire, Mr G. E. Fairfax, did not disturb him in the slightest. The Premier added: “This State is in a parlous condition, because of National rule. The railways do not pay, partly because of the concessions to newspapers, which continue to disparage and defame the Government and the country. We shall in due course take steps to deal with them.” Replying to another question by Mr R. J. Stuart-Robertson, Labour member for Annandale, who said another part of the Herald’s editorial referred lo a possible financial revolution and to Hie fact that farmers in the north were organising for a possible call to arms, Mr Lang said that should the Herald, or any other newspaper, succeed in causing a rebellion, members could accept his assurance that “we are in a position to manage and suppress it. Such propaanda is bound to recoil on the heads of its authors.” (Opposition laughter.) The Premier said he was quite aware that steps were being taken by those opposed to Labour to resort to force. A former member of the House was one of the organisers.

Mr Lang said he was also informed that organisations were already fornV ed in Victoria and South Australia, and that these people were armed. Consequently if an attempt were made to do this in New South Wales, the Government would not stand idly by, but woud certainly deal with them. Sir Thomas Henley: Bring out your Communists.

.Mr Lang: I will show them that the laws are just as sacred when Labour is in power hs when anti-Labour is in office.

ONLY WAR OF WORDS. SANITY WILL ASSERT ITSELF. COMMUNISTS NEGLIGIBLE FACTOR (Bv Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Friday. “Any fighting in Australia will be verbarfighting,” said a New Zealander who was a long resident in Sydney, in commenting on Hie recent Sydney cables. lie expressed the utmost confidence that sane Labour would have the final say, and' sane Labour supporters bad 100 much property to encourage the Communistic faction. Most of the talk of armed forces referred to Communists, and some months ago it was rumoured that a large number of the Defence Department’s rifles bad been stolen, but that had been denied by the Government. The number of militant Communists was by comparison very small, and were easily overpowered by the police when the police chose to break up their demonstrations.

LATER. IN FAVOUR OF SECESSION. FEELING IN QUEENSLAND. AGAINST REPUDIATION OF DEBTS. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Feb. 20, 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 20. Mr Godfrey Morgan, Queensland Minister of Railways, interviewed at Sydney, said there is a growing feeling in the north in favour of secession from the Federation. “We are watching the position closely. It would appear that if Mr Lang's financial scheme is given effect to we would be better off on our own.”

“ The question of secession had teen freclv discussed by the Queensland Cabinet,added Mr Morgan, “ and though no decision had been reached the constitutional position in the event of secession is being investigated. Queensland as a Slate is strenuously opposed to any scheme of repudiation of debts. It is the only Slate that attempted to carry out Sir OHo Nicmeycr’s recommendations, and though the" Budget might not be actually balanced tills year Queensland's finances arc certainly in a better position than those of some of the sister States. If Mr Lang’s proposals are carried the sooner we get out the better.

“ We will not have Queensland reduced to the level of New South Wales in the eyes of the world.”

PROPOSED NEW STATE. PART OF NEW SOUTH WALES. PUBLIC FEELING TO BE TESTED. (Received Feb. 20, 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 20. The new State movement in Northern New South Wales is spreading rapidly in the districts affected. its advocates stress the fact that no unconstitutional action is contemplated. Public feeling will be thoroughly tested by a referendum or a petition io the Federal Parliament. ]f lhe lat:.er docs not act an appeal will lie nade tn the British Government, on •.he grounds of misgovernment of New South Wales.

The Biverina is also in a ferment, and indignation is expressed at Mr Lang's repudiation suggestions. Tiie district is likely to co-operate in the northern new State agitation. .(Continued in next column.;

FEAR OF A STRUGGLE,

AN EXPLANATION.

DANGER OF MR LANG’S POLICY,

United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Feb. 20, 11.10 a.m.) ■ SYDNEY, Feb. 20.

The Herald, replying to Mr Lang editorially, says:—“There was in the article complained of. which could .be interpreted as inciting civil war, but it is true.that civil war, as a possibility arising' out of Mr Lang’s policy of repudiation and imp led secession, is in the minds of many of many thoughtful people, who fear there is a serious risk theieof if the present Labour Government drives a majority of the population of New South Wales to desperation, but if violence comes, it will not be due to a .majority of honest citizens who oppose Mr Lang, but through exacerbated fury of his own followers, who

find themselves duped by his promises and foiled In their senseless, sottish, short-sighted purposes.”

“Just as collision may be inevitable on a railway through disregarding the signals, so the trend of Mr Lang s policy is moving people to expressions of alarm and definite discussions arising out of anxiety. This is a fact, and we do not need to include in it the extremists in rival camps who would welcome trouble for the opportunities of personal aggrandisement and making political capital at a moment when it is enougli to say that fear of grave trouble is In men s minds, because secessions In history have been a fruitful cause of domestic conflict.

“We refuse to believe the worst will -happen if the best elements get together and work- harmoniously for the Stale. Brazen promises, which are unfulfilled and were never intntded to be fulfilled, have led us into the slough of despond in which we are struggling. The reaction thereto promises safety not- in civil war, but in whole-hearted co-operation to make Mr Lang’s continued tenure of office impossible.”

“RALLY TO THE BANNER.” NO FAITH IN PREMIERS. MR J. GARDEN’S INCITEMENTS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Feb. 20, 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 20. Mr J Garden, addressing the Australian Council of Trades Union Congress, declared neither he nor Mr Lang had any faith in Mr Scullin, Mr Theodore, or their supporters, who were neither bold nor -courageous. The lime had come for all workers to rally to the banner which must inevitably strike at the heart of the existing financial machine. He felt sure [hat the present situation was -only a lull before the storm, which would be of such a nature as to surprise the world.” A delegate from Melbourne exclaimed that the proclamation of a stale of national emergency would cause an uprising of Nationalists, who were ready with arms and ammunition to defend the capitalist clasp.