"FIGHT TO A FINISH”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12604, 15 November 1926, Page 6

"FIGHT TO A FINISH”

MR LANG'S POLICY NO IMPORTED GOVERNORS LABOUR'S ASPIRATIONS Cv Telegraph.—l'ro~s A-s n,— Copyright. SYDNEY, November 13. Speaking at the opening; session ,of the Australian Labour Party Conference, -Mr Lang, New South Wales Premier, said that if he continued to receive the confidence of the people tiie Government would not only remove a nominee Chamber, but imported Governors would become a thing of the past. Doth belonged to a bygone age; both were relics of a system utterly incompatible with democratic institutions. The fight was on, and it was going to be a tight to a finish. The "abolition of the Legislative Council” plank in the Labour platform had been left too long in abeyance. He was convinced that it was much nearer realisation to-day than it had ever been before. NOT A DEFEAT Referring to the rejection of the clause in the Fire Brigades Bill by the Legislative Council, Mr Lang said that it was not really a defeat of the Government at nil; it was merely the capitalists in a nominee Chamber giving the public another demonstration of how they could protect their pockets and frustrate the Government’s intentions. Mr R. Bavin, Leader of the Opposition, having failed in the representative chamber to reduce the contributions of the fire insurance companies towards the maintenance of fire brigades, naturally turned his attention to his friends in the nominee Upper House, and his Nationalist friends being largely insurance company directors and shareholders, were not slow to act. The result was the defeat of a Governmeni measure and the necessity for a recommittal of the Bill and a renewal of the fight to get the will of the People's Chamber nut into effect. DESIRE BUFFER REMOVED INTERVIEW WITH MR AMERY ABOLITION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Bv Telegraph.—Press' Assn.—Copyright. SYDNEY, November 13. In bis official report of his visit to London in connection with the. difference between the Lang Ministry and the Governor, the Attorney-General, Mr E. A. McTiernan, says that he lnude it clear to Air Amery that he did not come to ask him to abolish the Legislative Council. They were agreed that it was not for Air Amery to say whether or not the council should be abolished. In Air AlcTiernan’s opinion the Governor’s attitude was destructive of the principle of self-government. Air McTiernan contended that the clause in the Governor’s instructions, empowering him to dissent from the advice of his Ministers if he believed there was sufficient cause, was an accidental survival from early times. He strongly represented to Mr Amery that the constitutional documents issued by his office should be recast to make them accord with modern constitutional practice. ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS Air Amery replied that as this clause appeared in the Royal Instructions to Governors in all the Australian States and in the instruction to other self-governing parts of the Empire. he feaTed the proposal for an alteration was one which could hardly be considered with exclusive preference to the State of Now South Wales. Mr Amery said that he did not feel qualified or willing to express an opinion as to the powers to be exercised by the Governor. Mr McTiernan holds the view that the only reasonable inference to be drawn from Mr Amery’s statement is that the Governor should accept the advice of his Ministers. He recommends that the opinion of the Legislative Assembly should be sought and cabled to Mr Amery. CONFIDENCE IN LEADER GIVEN A FREE HAND. The Australian Labour Party carried by 274 votes to 4 a motion that the conference had complete confidence in Mr Lang as leader, and confirmed him in his leadership of the Parliamentary Labour Party for the period of the present Parliament: further, “that, as union was essential to carrying out the platform and policy of the Labour Party, the Premier be authorised, in the event of circumstances arising which, in his opinion, might imperil that unity, to no all things and exercise such powers as he deems necessarv in the interests of the movement.”