The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1927. NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 170, 8 October 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1927. NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS

MOHE than ordinary interest is being manifested in the New South Wales elections, which are taking place in the Mother State of the Commonwealth to-day. The campaign has not lacked excitement, owing mainly to the split in the ranks of the Labour Party, which has cast even Ministers into what party adherents designate “the darkness of independence”; but there are other factors which compel a particular interest in the struggle. That personalities have not been spared by wagging political tongues and acrimonious political pens is evidenced by the remarkable fact that writs for libel, claiming damages totalling £113,000, have been issued by contending candidates. That these will all he proceeded with, however, does not seem probable; it is more than likely that some of them, at least, have been issued with a view to stifling criticism. In considering the Parliament of New South Wales, it must be remembered that it governs two and a half million people, a population exceeding that of New Zealand by a million. The enfranchised of the Commonwealth’s chief State regard the election of their local Parliament with far greater interest than they do the Federal elections; for after all it is the authority which functions for that which most intimately concerns them, the Commonwealth Parliament being a body which legislates foxdefence, tariffs, navigation and other national needs, but does not concern itself with such domestic questions as are peculiar to the several States. And in this election there is the greatest clash of the opposing interests of Labour and anti-Labour that New South Wales has yet known. Labour has several times been the supreme power in the State. On this last occasion it has held office since 1925, and it has been a period marked by the most bitter politics in the history of New South Wales. The most radical act of the Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, was to attempt the abolition of the Legislative Council by swamping it with Government nominees. When some of these nominees played him false, he attempted further swamping tactics, but the State Governor, Sir Dudley de Chair, refused to make any additional appointments. Then a very wrathful Mr. Lang attempted unavailingly to have the Governor recalled. Fierce party fights followed in the Assembly over the Child Endowment Act, the Workers’ Compensation Act, and other measures which the Nationalists contested as menacing to industry, as well as over legislation to bring about a 44-hour week. These measures were forced through Parliament. Apart from such business, the electors were entertained to episodes of vicious squabbling in the party, which included an attempt to depose Mr. Lang and put Mr. Loughlin, Minister of Lands, in his place. This failing, Mr. Loughlin resigned from the Cabinet, and with two companions in ostracism formed a Country Labour Party. There was a later rebellion even more violent than the first, led by Mr. T. D. Mutch, formerly Minister of Education and one of the ablest and sanest men in the State Labour movement. The power of the industrial movement behind the domineering Premier cast out these rebels also, and Mr. Mutch, Mr. Minahan, Mr. Cann, all ex-Ministers, with the brilliant Dr. Evatt, are now splitting the party vote as independent Labour candidates. Each of these men is sure of a strong following, despite the customary solidarity of the Labour vote. But the Labour Party is not alone in the matter of secessions. Pre-selection ballots by the National Party have seen sitting members supplanted. They, too, refuse to sit in the background and see their chosen successors carry the party banner unchallenged. If it had been a solid Nationalist vote against a split Labour vote, aided by a great deal of resentment against the Mussolini-like methods of Mr. Lang, a Labour defeat at the polls might have been forecast with some safety. As it is, there is a very stern fight being waged to-day, hut to prophesy anything like a sweeping victory for one side or the other- would be like anticipating the fall of a coin.