Melbourne, Oct. 28.
In_the spring Australians " apply] themselves to the baling problem of picking the winner of that great turf classic, the Melbourne Cup, which is {to be run next week.
the last month, however, at least Jequal interest has been shown in the selection of a successor to the Prime [MUnister, Mr. Lyons, for the impression has steadily gained ground that the leadership, or lack of leadership, lof Mr. Lyons is becoming a national The wave of speculation regarding his "replacement has been whipped up by the Press, even Party papers! that slavishly support the Government publicising the claims of possible candidates for office, but the revue sion. of public opinion against the Prime Minister is essentially spontaneous and profound. The Press campaign is really an' attempt to ensure that Mr. Lyons falls alone, jand does not involve the Govern ment Parties in his loss of popularity.
Public opinion has reacted most unfavourably to the Ministry's policy Jand procedure during the recent international crisis. During those) anxious days, Mr. Lyons elected to play'a lone hand, taking neither the people nor Parliament into his condence. This may have been desir able, even unavoidable, but was} distinctly unpopular.
Aulocratle Methods Undesirable Australians expect national policy to be framed by Parliament, Auto-Jeratie methods are not acceptable them in any circumstances, and Mr. Lyons with his amiable and kindly' disposition is not, for all his political Jacuimen, east in the dictatorial mould.
During the crisis people became Jaware of many things which had fnitherto passed almost unnoticed. JQuite suddenly they recalled that during the political stir caused by the resignation of the British Foreign Secretary some months ago Mr. Lyons had kept Parliament in recess, and stifled all formal discussion national policy. They recalled that ]Me, Lyons and certain of his Cabinet Jcolieagues had spent a great deal of time abroad last year while import ant legislation languished, and they remembered that the Prime Minister had broken his promise to the Opoaition to afford an opportunity for full debate on policy before the last Imperial Conference, where it is Iyelieved that Mr. Lyons advanced Jpolicy as the nation's without a mandate from either Parliament or the electorate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.