Possibilities
of a victory at the forthcoming election were not lost sight of by
the dismissed Premier,
Mr. Lang, as it is stated on reliable authority that he
warned the Governor (Sir Phillip Game) of his intention to have him
recalled in the event of his return by the electors
But
on this historic occasion Mr. Lang's bluff failed, for the Governor dismissed
him less than an hour later.
Persons closely
in touch
with the late Premier on Friday, during the events which led up to
his dramatic dismissal at 6 p.m., say the Governor’s last official
interview with Mr. Lang was not very pleasant. When
the Governor first mentioned to Mr. Lang the possibility of his having
to seek new advisors, Mr. Lang pointed out that his Excellency would
probably be putting a nail in his own coffin, but the Governor did
not flinch, and told Mr. Lang in the plainest of English, what he
thought about it.
Apart
from the unpleasant and unprecedented task of having to dismiss
a Government, the Governor was called upon to listen to an abusive
attack by Mr. Lang, during which the ex Premier said to the Governor:- |
"If
you win I’ll go back to England with a no-confidence vote as
you say"
His Excellency
is stated to have said "but I will also go home with a clear
conscience and the knowledge that I did the right thing."
The Governor,
it is said, told Mr. Lang that the Mortgage
Bill would ruin many people of humble rank in the community
who would not be able to find the money.
He informed
Mr. Lang that in his efforts to hit the rich man he was going to
make things very miserable for the poor and middle classes and he
thought that the farce had gone far enough.
Gruelling Week
One of Mr. Lang’s
own officers expressed his sympathy with the Governor, who, he said,
had had a very gruelling experience.
"I am sure,"
he said, "that His Excellency has not slept this week. "He
has been very worried and he has questioned every matter that has
been placed before him by his Ministers."
World, 16 March, 1932.
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