The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1926 THE FALSE MOVE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1926 THE FALSE MOVE

The lake move made by Premier Lang in bis mission to abolish (ho Cppc'i House of New South Wales appears to be unite, the talk of political circles. Certainly it is a. burning (jiiestion in New South Wales where Mr Lang hoped by it is late appointments to the Upper House to carry the day. He made a misfire and the result is disconcerting to the Labor Party. A correspondent, referring to the impasse says that .Mr Lang is probably the most talked of man in Austraian politics to-day. A big man physically, square of jaw, who is eschewing the social sole of his office for th<> sterner business of it. there is nothing iriresolutc or weak about him. and when, with something of Napoleonic splendour, he says that the obnoxious Legislative Council must go, no matter what happens in the process of bringing about its oblivion, the community knows that lie means it. Mr Lung has indicat'd further action, including an appeal to Downing Street, if as he seems to fear the Governor will not assist Lv making more npoointnient.s to the Second Chamber. The correspondent further remarks that all that Ihe community is wondering is-what will be the move if Air Dang gets to his lips the cup of unlimik'd power for which lie is now reaching out. fn the (aimer perspective of events, sympathy is now generally felt with the Governor, in tlie position into which the Labour Government forced him. in the .swamping of the Upper House, where at first there

"'ns ;i stroii'; mid general incliiiniion, outside lli.? Labour movement, of course, lid tersely to criticise liim. It is now considered highly probable Hint, should Mr Lang ask His Excellency for still more appointments to the Tipper House, in order to effect his Party’s ends, the Governor will refuse. hut that lie will agree to a dissolution in order that an appeal might lie made to the electors on the question. This, it is safe to snv, is one oi the last things desired hv the Governemnt at the present time. AVliilo the moderates in the Labour movement lost no opportunity during the Federal eleetion campaign to repudiate the extremists and all their works, the Reds are standing solidly behind the Lahour Government in the fight for the abolition of the Upper House, for they envisage, as a. result of this reform, a,ml of tls? determination of the Premier (Mr Lang) to go ahead if possible with other planks of Labours platform of far-reaching sohem,? of mu tionnlhsation, .embracing tihe 'mines, the hospitals, and the breweries. While, however, the Reds believe that Mr Lang is going to take them at bast a step towards their goal, the Labour Council flushed with the brightness of the outlook, i.s beginning to shape Labour’s policy in a direction which is likely to create embarrassment for not a few of Mr Lang’s Parliamentary supporters. There i.s the f

liquor trade, for instance, always a touchy and delicate question in its relation to politics. A general campaign against the trade is foreshadowed by a proposal by the Xabour Council's wineless propaganda committee, to broadcast prohibition lectures hv arrangement with the New South Wales Alliance. The A.L.P. platform, however. provides for the nationalisation of the liquor traffic, and if the Second Chamber can he disposed of a demand will not doubt lie made that this plank and other important planks shall he given effect- to. It- i.s one of tli? questions, in fact, which will be dealt with at the Raster Labour conference. Tn the Labour movement, Mr Lang is being hailed as the strongest Premier New South Wales lias had, because of the resolute spirit with which lie is attacking the Upper House. There are others, however, in The community who do not share this tribute with the Labour movement. Their lelief is that, by his drastic mcnmres, the Labour Party will ulti-

matelv meet defeat. Even the 44hours’ measure has not brought unalloyed joy to workers, for in the case of many of them it lias had n prejudicial effect, pecuniarily, because of the readjustment of conditions consequent upon the reform.