ALLEGED BRIBERY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 45, 22 January 1926, Page 9

ALLEGED BRIBERY

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS. INDIGNATION CAMPAIGN. SYDNEY, Jan. 21. Besidos heated debates in the two Houses over the abolition of the Legislative Council, a fierce controversy is proceeding in the press, chiefly on the condemnatory side. Widespread indignation is expressed towards members accepting gold life passes for tho sole purposes of destroying tho Council. This is freely described as bribery. An indignation campaign is being organised and arrangements are being made to hold a series of meetings throughout the city and suburbs, at which Mr Bavin, tho Leader of the Opposition, and other prominent opponents of Mr Lang’s methods will deliver addresses.

In the Assembly Mr McTiornan, in moving tho second reading of the bill granting gold passes to members of the Council, indignantly denied the alleged bribery. He said it was impossible to make any differentiation between the old and new members in granting passes, and appealed to the Opposition to cease making insulting charges which were baseless. The charge of bribery was malicious and malignant propaganda. Mr Bavin declared that in the past passes had been granted to members to enable them to perform their legislative duties, but now the Government proposed to grant passes to people who have no duties to perform. Much of the opposition to the proposal would have been removed if the Government had first abolished the Council and then asked the House to make some recognition of the services of the members affected.

The Leader of the Country Party also strongly attacked the Government’s action over tho Council. After a number of other condemnatory speeches had been delivered, the closure was applied and the bill read a second time by 44 to 38.—Press Association.