POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 438, 8 October 1908, Page 3

POLITICAL.

Last Monday’s sitting of the Legislative Council was the most stormy of the present session. The storm was raised entirely by the Hon. Rigg’s whole hearted opposition to the Arbitration Bill on the ground that imprisonment had not been entirely eradicated from it. He went so far as to accuse the Attorney-General of not having acted straightforwardly and having kept back information to which the Council was entitled. “We have come to a parting of the ways,” he declared, “ and for the Government after this to call itself the friend of the workers would be a consummate piece of political hypocrisy,” The Attorney-General clearly had the Couucil with him in the vigorous defence of the Bill, the Government and himself with which he replied to Mr Rigg. Dr. Findlay said he was glad that Mr Rigg was to be henceforth his open opponent instead of his concealed foe. Veiled obstruction had always been his attitude and no member of the Couucil had been less influential for the benefit of labour.

Mr Rigg’s destructive amendment found no seconder and in the subsequent attempt to stonewall the Bill he played a lone hand.

Mr Frankland has a notice in this issue, intimating that he will open his election campaign by addressing the electors at the Public Hall on Monday next, at 8 p.m. We are glad to learn that he will now lay his matured views before the public. As formerly intimated, Mr Frankland did not wish to come forward until the passage of the Second Ballot Act was secure, so that there could no longer be any danger of his splitting the votes of the Liberal and Labour Party, of which he is an enthusiastic adherent.