THE NEW LABOUR PARTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 34, 9 February 1905, Page 3

THE NEW LABOUR PARTY.

MR RIGGS , POSITION. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent-) CHRISTCHURCtt, this day. The Hon. J. Bigg, who is on a visit to Christehurch to form a branch of the newly-estahlished Political Labour League, states that it is not his intention to resign his seal in tbe Upper House tuid contest a constituency in. the popular Chamber. His present active association with the League of New Zealand makes it desirable that he should not take the coarse, as, were he to stand for a seat in the Ixwer House, he would be accused of using the present agitation for the foundation of a solid party as a means to farthering his own interests.^. Mr Audrevr Collins, the prominent Wellington Labourite, who is ateo visitmg Christchureh is opposed to the league. He declares that Mr Rl«rg will have either to depart from his announced principles on the floor of the Legislative Council, or else the platform of the League will have to be modified, lie asserts, also, that if the Labour party desires more Labour legislation it should assist in putting in more Labour men in the House to help the Liberal Party to put their Labour measures through. A comparison of New Zealand's legislation with that of other countries shows that the working man in the colony has every reason to be grateful to the Government for the laws which have of late years been placed upon the Statute Book. In Ansfcralia Mr Watson has foond it necessary to throw in his lot with the Opposition in order to sret the claims of Labour properly listened to, but this sort of a compromise is not necessary in New Zealand. If the Liberal Pajrty, with which Labour is allied, is too slow, then the fault is that of the workers themselves in not giving that support which they sbonld have given to those who are fighting their cause.