LANG'S INTENTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 387, 23 November 1932, Page 7

LANG'S INTENTIONS

FUTURE PLANS SAYS HE IS FINISHED WITH STATE POLITICAL MATTERS. SEEKING FEDERAL HOUSE. Sydney, Sunday. "I h'ave washed my hands of State political matters," said Mr. Lang, aeeording to a statement made at the Trades Hall yesterday. This first definite declaration of his future political intentions "Was made, according to the speaker, to a deplitation which had been sent by the x addington branch to the ex-Premier. Mr. Lang had given this intimation of his leaning towards Federal Parliament, it was said, in rep'ly to a request that he should discipline Mr. Keller, Lang Plan president, and Mr. Graves, secretary, for their attitude in the dispute hetween the Paddington branch and the Lang executive, over unemployment. It may be signifieant that Mr. Lang has been paying more attention to his own electorate during the past few months than he has done for years. H's has not only addressd several meetings of leagues and branches included in the Reid Electorate, but has been more accessible to . local supporters. xiis close supporters are loolcing hopefully towards the Federal Parliament for signs of an early election because, at Trades Hall, the h'eadquarters of Mr. Lang's machine, the position is delicate and insecure. There is a difference of opinion between Mr. J. J. Graves, secretary of the machine, and Mr. J. S. Garden, dictator of the union groups, which control the machine, over unemployment matters. To mahe matters .worse, Mr. A. C. Willis, who is looked up*on as the logical successor to Mr. Lang, has refused to meet Mr. Garden and Mr. Graves to "talk things over." Mr. Willis? Mr. Willis, it is expected, will make his way into Parliament via the Bulli seat, at present beld by Mr. Lysaght, who is not in good health and contemplates retirement. Trades Hall officials are anxious for definite information, but Mr. Lysaght has not been in very friendly terms with Mr. Lang's Trade Hall friends since he resigned from the Cabinet somewhat abruptly, and without first taking Trades Hall into his confidence, during the regime of Mr. Lang's last stormy Government. Mr. Willis, it is believed, is better informed, as he has been spending practically all his time in the Bulli electorate since his return from London. Mr. Willis, however, will not have an unchallenged passage to the leader's chair. Close observers believe that Mr. Lang would prefer to see Mr. J. MeGirr, whom he gave te responsible post of Minister for Transport, st/ep into his shoes. Union secretaries at Trades Hall are not pledged to anyone yet, but the Trades Hall Inner Group' would prefer Mr. McGirr to Mr. Willis. Mr. Baddeley is also ambitious. The fact that he is deputy-leader of the party does not appear to be giving him such a eonsiderable advantage in the underground manoeuvres.