A DISSATISFIED REPRESENTATIVE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 118, 17 May 1909, Page 7

A DISSATISFIED REPRESENTATIVE.

A "ROW" PREDICTED

[PEOM OUR CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Mr Guinness, as you may have noticed by a special telegram from Greymouth, has been predicting a "jolly good row" next sesion. The Member for the Grey is apparently consumed with anxiety for the "workers," and promises that he will give the Ministry an opportunity of saying whether it "will lessen the burden on ' the workers." Most people, I fancy, imagine that the country has had enough, and to spare, of labour legislation during the past 'few years, but Mr Guinness decries the "political rest" theory, and upbraids the Government for not adopting a policy of progress, especially in legislation affecting the "workers." By "workers," of-course, is meant the manual "worker." No one else, I suppose, is a worker, but a loafer! The Times this morning comments, in a tone of mordant and somewhat sardonic humour, upon the spectacle of the Speaker of the last Parliament rejoicing in the prospect of a "row," and hints that the honourable gentleman is not inclined to sit in the Speaker's chair next session. It would not. be surprising were the Government to "run" some other Member for the Speakership. For some time past a dim, undefined sort of rumour that this will be the case has been in circulation, and the n/tme of Mr Wilford has beeh mentioned locally as that of a possible Government nominee. I hardly think that this will be the case, but that Mr Wilford will stand for and be elected as Chairman of Committees, in which position he has more than once acquitted himself, with signal ability. The Times hints that Mr Guinness' display of dissatisfaction with the Government programme is not unconnected with the fact that he has been left out in the cold when Cabinet reconstruction was considered. This is rather a "nasty" suggestion, but one caii hardly blame Mr Guinness for feeling disappointed. For he has been in Parliament for twenty - five years, his ability as a representative cannot be questioned, and there can be no doubt that he would have made

a most efficient administrator of any department of which he might have been placed in charge.