SILENCE BROKEN

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1932, Page 5

SILENCE BROKEN

MR LANG’S CHARGES

AGAINST GOVERNOR OF N S.VV

(Per Australian Press Association.)

SYDNEY, May 17

Mr J. T. Lang, Leader of tne .Labour Party, broke ins silence to-day, when lie addressed tne Labour caucus. reviewed the events leading up to lus dismissal from oince. G' criticised the Governed, Sir Philip Game .or liis action.

Mr Lang declared that if His Excellency bad acted constitutiona.ly in dismissing him then he (Sir Philip Game), would be acting unconstitutionally - he granted supply after the end of May without Parliamentary approval. Eleven seats must be won from the Labour Party in order to giye Mr Stevens’ Government a bare working majority.

At least ten seats are expected to be won from Labour in the country electorates, and probably five seats in the metropolitan ai'ea., The Premier, Sir Stevens, is delivering the new Government’s policy- speech early next Week,

The new Ministers have agreed to forego tbe Ministerial salaries.

The election campaign begins immediately. The fact' that the United Australia Patty supporters have undertaken not to contest any of the seats hitherto held by the Country Party members, and also that an amicable working agreement reached by the two parties, has caused the utmost satisfaction in the anti-Labour circles.

LANG RESTRICTIONS REMOVED.

(Iteceb ed this day at 10.15 a.m.)

SYDNEY, May 18

Ali- Stevens Cabinet’s first acts to-day included the removaS -of the Lang Government’s restrictions oil trade, industry and transport; while compulsory unionism was also vetoed.

The Minister of Labour visits Canberra in order to try to induce the Federal Government to allocate New South Wales its full share of the unemployment vote of £1,200,000.

RESTRICTING BILLS LIFTED

PAYMENT OF OBLIGATIONS

(Australian Press Association.)

(Received this day at 11.15 a.m.) ' SYDNEY, May 18,

A Bill, providing for the suspension of the Financial Agreements Enforcement Act, and Financial Emergency Act, wel'a pasted by the Federal Parliament, Alt proclamations, regulations, notices and directions i tutted by the Commonwealth for the attachment of State revenue, and the Bill nullifying the Mortgagees Taxation Bill passed by the State Parliament are suspended under the Bill.

The State Ministry "'ill investigate without delay the Lang appointments to transport services.

■Sixty' thousand family endowment cheques, representing a sum of £70,000 have been sent out by the new Government, and these represent the payment Willich fell due on April 26. Payments which were due on May 10 and those which fell due on May 14 were posted by Friday, representing a total of £140,000.

Cheques which were sent out on April 12, and which were not met by the banks, are now being cashed, The Minister of Education, the Hon. I). Drummond, announced that deferred payments of widows’ pensions and child welfare allowances, totalling £IOO,OOO, would be available immediate’y.

A Bill, amending the Commonwealth Crimes Act, to give the Commonwealth wider powers to deal with unlawful associations passed the Senate. An offer by a private enterprise to flak© over the NewmW shale oil works was accepted by the Federal Government, and Mssers H. Treganowan and C. Chambers have undertaken to form a company w*th a capital of £500,000 to develop the shale deposits.

MR LANG AND IRISH PRESS

LONDON, May 17

Tlie “Irish Times,” in a leadcr, states that Lang’s default was a blot, not only on the reputation of New Sctibii Wales, but also on the Commonwea'th. Decent opinion in Australia decided that it cannot he suffered to pass unnoticed.