The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1914. CABINET VERSUS CAUCUS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2136, 30 April 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1914. CABINET VERSUS CAUCUS

A vehy interesting situation has been created within'the ranks of the New South Wales Labour Party owing to a dispute regarding the relations between-the Premier (Me, Hol3IAN') and the Caucus, and ;i sharp discussion on the question is expected to take place when the Caucus taenia on Monday next. The trouble lias arisen in connection with a proposal to make a number ol appointment!] to the Upper House. The Caucus claims the right to make the selection, but Mr. tfouuN has set his .face against this method of procedure, and has brought clown upon himself the wrath of that, wctioti of his party which is determined to push the system of Caucus rule to its uttermost limits. Mr.«HouiAN probably, feels that the recognition of the chum of the Caucus in this matter of Legislative Council appointments would be inconsistent with his responsibility as a Minister of the Crown, am! would make him the irresponsible puppet of a political clique instead of the servant of the whole community. Government by Caucus r<; a tle--Sradation of Uritish U'arliitmonUiry institutions for it compels the representatives of the people to obey (Ik; dictates of a secret conclave of partisans who pull the string-; from behind the set-lies. Uucier ■ tills ne.w tyranny members cf Parliament hardly dare to call their sou!:; (heir own. They arc ncithov I heir own imiste.rs nor the servants of the country: but merely a number of voting machines which exkt.-for the purpose of giving formal legislative effect to l.h'3 decrees of h superior power. JFn. Hoi.MAS evidently feels that {.he frl,ters of the system ave.lMcomiug,.luo

Wis3fi&-M'»H #l» ; '< | !amsf|.li'lf^iVVii»rJ? ; !'jvi^i;n'"t(TfrV^jh^'.Tlic'i'fe':ili- j wSfm'iislvi'ic'v. I f--i ;[i;-;?i^|ttig!i(>?yii(;:J;sl;(v(?Cot^lli(!I;(_:aui';is1 ;(_:aui';is ] ia.MJI./ij. li'o'j'j jil IjoiiV s, ' Qo.h f'Toii'cc." it ■ winInytfiiWUwlsiiiiK' :.! inic; ,'t.n"liic ;pcoj)Je;;;is-a; 1 w i }m]c. , ' , 'i;,': , .:.:' : ..- :-*-* ,, :.; '■ Use ' jl'piifclloiiSi'' ; fti)jwin(f»(.'iils- lias n)v !liareiil.i,i ; i|Vfso!v(;(!ilsrlf ; iii!,o a trial •off'st.i-nriglh (M.'tn-ccii'-Mi!" , 'llouiax ami Mtu- SlKAfi'tieiii-iiiml tho -outcome will Sw ,-iw:iik-d wit intewst. ■Th'?. C.'iuiciis-Vf'cohU.y 'decided, on tlui auegbstiofi of-Mr: 'Meaohkh; thai; it must bo coiiHultod before any further fMi/omtnients are ma.do to the h'ghlft/ivo. Council. Mr.. Hoi.man declines if/ accept-this decision. iiikl status that if Mn. Meaoiier is rlissatisiied tliciT are two courses open to him. i »n can cither move ' that- he (Mli. Holjian) l){i mo longer leader, or lio ran witlitlraw from thw psivLv with whom management lw is not Iα ac-Riji-d. The Prnniier further contends tliiit no ijogislniive C'mincil nppointincnls arc at present In b? maclc, find that no member of P;\rlinment has Ihft sliglikst i'nfliienw in regard to such appointments, The Minister of Jiisfiw fMit. Hau.) supports Mr. rjoi.MAN in iliß cnnlrovfirsy and declares thai the Incentives' Government alotw is responsible for ils reconiHwndations of ppvsonss to becomn mnmlK-rs of tbe Legislativo Council, and there is absolutely nothing, lift says, si> tho whole constitution , of Uμ Labour •movcinpnfc giving this power to anyone lnil; the Ministry. Of course, if the mai.tef is to be considered in accordance with gener-ni-ly-acceptcd constitutional prfiicipks. Mr:. Homian's position cannot- bo successfully challenged: but if thn point in dispute is' to to decided lnn-ely ns ;i mattfli- nf Labour politics Mh. Mragher and his friends soem to occupy a more logical position than tho Preminv." Having once accepted the principle ol" Caucus rule it is doubtful whether Mn. Hqui/ly ban reasonably put down Ins foot at this or thiifc stage nnd say "thus far and no further'." . Til view _of tho fact that he admitted the right of the- Caucus to choose his colleagues in the Ministry, it- is not easy to.understand how he, can now resist the demand of the samo body to haws a, voice in the selection of Ixsislativc Councillors. The Aml-raUnn Worker is extremely candid in its criticism of Mr.. HopAX's attitude. It tells him that if bij ''could disabuse his niind of u\a tallacious notion that he is leader of tin" Labour movement in New bouth Wales, instead of its servant, more progress would be made in that State.' , The Labour party at its annual conference decided thai before li-srsons av-c. appointed to tho Legislative Council by the Labour Gov-ernment-they must be approved by the esecutn-e of tlie movement. The Iranicr and his Governaieat are the servants of Labour, so-rune the argument, aad they must therefore do the bidding of Labour; and Ms. H'OLjiAN must accept this position if he is to be of any fnrtlier use to tno cause. This blunt- statement may w'"i bo J'a'atable to the New South wales Premier, but lie would probably never have been placed in his presont office mites he-had accepted the positios as defined "by bis predecessor (Mr. H'Gowax), who on one oecasiosi publicly stated that it was the- business of t>. Caucus Government to carry out the instructions of the Labour Conference, and not to act on its own initiative. The Premier has threatened to resign if the Caucus condemns the stand he has taken up in the. present controversy, and as Mr. Meagiier is said to have a strong following the, situation is rather critical; bnt it is- generally believed that some compromise will bo arrived at. A serious split at the present juncture miijht provo disastrous to the party, and' it may be taken for granted that every effort will be- made-to prevent a straightout fight over the Tipper House appointments. A warm debate will no douot occur at next Monday's C'au■ens meeting, but the- probabilities fire that tho resolution to which Mr, Jjoumn has taken such strong objection will cither be- rescinded or allowed to become a dead letter. This is not. the first time that the Premier has come into conflict with the Caucus, and sooner or later the friction will become too acute for compromise These disputes are instructive as illustrations of what Caucus ami Conference government means and what it leads to. It means the intrusion of a third party between trie electors -nnd their representatives! and it places the Ministry under tho domination of a partisan clique, this must lead to tho overthrow of real representative government and to the deposition of Parliament horn tne supremo pla«e which it has hitherto occupied in all self-govern-ing' British communities.