The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 16, 1932.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 16, 1932.

LANG’S DISMISSAL. The sudden fall of Mr Lang’s Government in New South Wales was the . political .sensation of the end of last j week. The. action taken by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Pnil.p | Game, in dismissing Mr Lang from f office, as the result of Mr Lang’s illegal action in directing his officers to refuse to comply with the mandate of the Federal Government in con* I nett ion with payment of publ.c monies j to the Commonwealth, caused a great sensation not only in New South Wales, b,ut in the rest of Australia and other placets more distant. The plight of New South Wales has now for some considerble time been recognised as parlous, and the very high handed actions of Mr Lang, which have necessitated counter balancing action by the Federal Government has been followed with great interest, and fear as tO' the ultimate outcome. The political history of the premier State lias been moving very quickly of late and the Governor ha.s in some, quarters been freely criticised for not having moved before, to end the disastrous condition of affairs. Sir Philip (lame however has taken up the attitude that the consitutional authorities were clear that so long .a,s the Ministry enjoyed the confidence of Parliament, and so long as it kept within the terms of the constitution it was not competent for the Governor to intervene. When, however, Mr Lang gave explicit instructions in writing to State officials that they were to ignore the Federal laws, he violated the fundamental law of the Commonwealth, and the responsibility for bringing him to book then lay not with the State Parliament, but with the Governor who is the ultimate guardian of the constitution within the State. The power of dismissal, so long in abeyance, has been invoked, and Mr Lang has ceased to be Premier of New South Wales. The government of the State is ,to be tarried on by ah executive council appointed by the Governor until such time a? Parliament can be dissolved and a new Parliament elected. Mr. Lang has caused many political sensations, but.,none greater than in his departure from office. The incident is without precedent even in colonial history, which contains so many instances of conflict between Governors and Ministries, and it will be cited, perhaps for centuries to come, as an extreme exnmnle of the exercise of the authority of the Crown. It will provoke an unexampled! controversy, but if the orderly government of communities is to> continue, the Governor’s action must be upheld.