The Labour Machine at Work.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17107, 31 March 1921, Page 6

The Labour Machine at Work.

More than usual interest attaches in Australia to the annual conference of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labour Party, now in session in Sydney, for the reason that it mav decide the question whether the Labour "machine" or the Labour Government shall .control the affairs of the State. The Australian Labour Party arrogates to itself the right to dictate to the Government how it shall govern; the Government, which was put in offico by the A.L.P., of which all the Ministers and all, or a very large proportion, of the Government's supporters in Parliament, are members, has lately defied the authority of its creator, and refused to submit to its dictation. "When Mr Storey, the Premier, decided that it was necessary in the financial interests of the State that he should proceed to London, he aho deemed it inadvisable that Parliament should meet in his absence. The A.L.P. did not agree with him, possibly because it thought that it might have matters more its own way in a session from which the Premier, who had on several occasions shown Signs of independence, was absent, than if ho were in his place in> the House. A stubborn contest took plade between the Parliamentary Labour Party and the A.L.P over this question, and in the end the Government won. Mr Storey went to England, and before leaving, secured, it is stated; a personal pledge from his colleagues and the members of his party, that they would do nothing to interfere with the harmony of administration in his absence. For their action in supporting Mr Storey in this matter thc'se members of the Labour Party in Parliament are now invited to attend the present Conference and explain why they flouted the authority of the A.L.P. executive. Those who submit to be thus "carpeted" may escape further consequences by promising not to bo offend again; those who decline to recognise their master's voice, will probably find it difficult to secure nomination as members of the Party at the next general elections. So far an the present executive of the New South Wales branch of the A.L.P. Is cbhberned, its efforts will be devoted to bringing the Parliamentary Party once more to heel, in the approved mariner of the Labour 1 machine in Australia and elsewhere. But within the ranks of the party shere is dissension which may, if it extends, work for the bfetifefit of the Government. The present execiitivo represents the Australian Workers' tJiiibh; Opposed to it are the Labour Leagues and unions who favour the Ministry. A bitter fight woe exacted to take place over the election of the new executive, and if Jihe now dominant A.W.U section secures a renewal of power, its success will be regarded as a vote of no-confidence in the Government by the party that put it in power, and Mr Storey will have to face stormy Wbather when he returns. On the other hand, if the opponents of the A.W.U. succeed in electing the executive, or sbciire & majority bit itj a split in the ranks of Labour may occur which Way lead to interesting developments. '

The nSwS Of the death of John Burroughs, the veteran American nattittilistj will be received with regret by at ieast some lovers of Nature in New Zealand. He Was liot Only a keen observe of wild life# hut A Writer of great charm; We do not know to what extent his boofea are read in the l>omiriioit—hd began to write more than fifty years ago, And has more than twenty books to his credit, besides manv contributions to magazinos. But thosa who do not know how deli#tfully he could Write of What he SaW have yet to. experience a rafe pleasure. Many years ago, in the early days of the cheap gtiod books which are now bo sadly unobtainable, an Edinburgh publisher issued ft little squat paper-covered edition of the best that Burroughs had yet Writteft. These were. "Winter Hunshine,'' "fords and Poets," "Wake Robin,'* '"Locusts and Wild H6hey," and "Fresfit Fields." There was not, to any lovet of outdoors, of fishing, and of wild lifer, a dull page in the whole half-dozen j there were, on the Other hand, many dhapterS which bear re-reading over and over again. Nothing that he wfote in later years, and he wrote much that was good, surpassed the books we have mentioned. Burroughs was oh 6 of tjho most retiring of inert; but his simple, wholesome message influenced maiy lives fof good.

Plats for til© expedition to Mouns Everest, which is being jointly organised by the Royai Geographical Society flfld the Alpine Clttb—-the ftfrmef bein« responsible for the scientific side and the latter for tlhe actual ascent —word being completed wheft the last riiail left England. The proposal is to cross into Tibet to Kampa Dsong, and then proceed by way of the Tingri Maidan to the north of the Everest group, and fcom hSro to tilako an attempt to climb tho mountain by the nortihern Slopes. One of the most important tasks for the reconnoitring party will be to fitid tho easiest way from Kflmpa Dzong and Over the Tingri to the foot of Mount Everest. At present practically nothing is ktiovrri about Everest. No white man has been within forty or fifty miles of it, and all the district round it is Speculative; TBfie reconnoitring expedition wiU not have much to do with the climbing of the mountain. They will be charged with the responsibility of finding the way. Next year thero will be a completely-equipped climbing party, but so great are the difficulties to b<j encountered that it is quite possible that several expeditions will have to bo sent before the top of Everest, £9,000 feet above sea level, ie reached.

Sir Francis Ytranghusband, the president of the Geographical Society, says, in connexion with the adventure: "What h the use of climbing this highest mountain? No uso at all: no more use than kicking a football about, or dancing, or playing on tho piano, or writing a poem, or painting a picture.

. . . Climbing Mount Everest will not put a pound into anyone's pocket. It will take a good many pounds out of people's pockets." After recounting the difficulties and dangers to be faced, and the great amount of preparation to be made—"all without the prospect of making a single penny"—Sir Francis concludes: "But if there is no use* there is unquestionable good in climbing Mount Everest. The accomplishment of such a feat will elevate the human spirit. It will give men—and especially we geographers—a feeling that we are really gelling the upper hand on the earth; that we are acquiring a true mastery of our surroundings. If a man stands on earth's highest summit he will have an increased pride and confidence in himself in his struggle for ascendancy over matter. This is the incalculable frood which the ascent of Mount Everest will confer."

A decision has at last been reached as to the provision of efficient means of transportation between "the east and west banks of the Suez Canal at Kantara. Before the war the only means of communication wa? by ferry, but in order to facilitate operations against the Turks a wooden swing-bridgo was built. This ultimately proved too small and cumbersome, and 't was replaced by the il-on bridge which New Zealand soldiers who fought against the Turks have good cause to remember. On the cessation of hostilities, however, the Suez Canal Company pointed out that they had ohly allowed the bridge and the various camps and dumps to be erected on the express condition that once the necessity had disappeared the status quo should be restored, and they refused to consider any suggestion that the bridge should remain. Furthermore, their experts hold that the bridge is not only an obsta.de in the Canal, but a danger to owing to the narrowness of the opening and the increase in size of the ships pass>ig through. The bridge is now being demolished, and the ferry service is to be employed until such time as a tunnel under the Canal can be constructed.