PERSONAL. 
Personal. 
(MR. A. B. PIDDINGTON, K.C) 
Just about twenty years ago a trio of young men, fairly new to 
politics in New South Wales, bulked large in the public eye. As 
vigorous and uncompromising opponents of the first Federal Convention 
Bill, their conspicuous ability marked them out as men who were destined 
to rise to greater eminence in the public life of their country. They 
were James Ashton, Edward Davis Millen, and Albert Bathurst Pid- 
dington. The combination was generally known as the A.M.P. Popular 
prediction was confirmed. Mr. Ashton soon afterwards became 
Minister of Lands in New ‘South Wales, but after a few years 
of office resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly and entered 
the Legislative Council. He is widely known throughout the 
Jommonwealth by reason of his association with and interests in 
the pastoral industry. Mr. (now Senator) Millen has been in Federal 
politics since the inauguration of the Commonwealth, and is Minister 
for Repatriation, while Mr. Piddington was subsequently appointed 
hast chairman of the Inter-State Commission, a position which he still 
1olds. ; 
It is interesting, in the light of past events, to recall that the grounds 
upon which Mr. Piddington opposed the acceptance of the Bill were 
that the range of its authority and the constitutional adjustments as 
between the power of the States and of the nation in the Federal Parlia- 
ment were upon too narrow a basis for the Australian union. His 
view was that the people of Australia were ready for a fuller union, and 
that there was no necessity for a Senate constituted on a provincial 
foundation—a Senate to represent States only—inasmuch as the States 
were never likely to be divided as States upon political questions. 
Mr. Piddington has always taken a deep interest in public affairs, 
particularly of an educational character, and his official connexion with 
various Commissions, and his active participation in politics, has cansed 
his name to become widely known. It was as a classical scholar, 
however, that he first won distinction, and although he left the serene 
atmosphere and environment of the University for the rough and tumble 
of the political arena,.and later became immersed in problems of 
arbitration law and economics, he has always retained his affection for 
the classics, and has devoted his leisure to the further pursuit of his 
earlier studies. He is a Vice-President of the Classical Association 
of Victoria, President of the Sydney University Law Society, and 
ex-President of the Modern Languages Association in New South Wales, 
his interests including Spanish, Italian, German, and I’rench. 
Mr. Piddington is a son of the late Archdeacon Piddington, of Tam- 
worth. He was born at Bathurst, New South Wales, on 9th September, 
1862, and was educated at the Sydney Grammar School. Upon passing 
to the University, he won various scholarships, and graduated as 
Bachelor of Arts in 1888, winning the gold medal in classics. The 
following year he was appointed Vice-Warden of St. Paul’s College. In 
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