LEGISLATIVE REFORM AMD EXMEMBERS' PENSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 5

LEGISLATIVE REFORM AMD EXMEMBERS' PENSIONS.

Sir,—There aro two. questions which the present Ministry have to deal with, and both may be classed as experimental legislation, as well-as being questions that most electors are undecided on, and on which they have had no opportunity to oven consider —let alone express their opinion on at the hustings —I should like to see the press take a more active part in discussing both than has hitherto been done. And I am strongly of the opinion that both questions should be dealt with together/ Tho first question, viz., the reform of ' tho Upper House, a great number .of olectors who though convinced that the present systom ;must bo ended, aro anything but favourable to an elective Upper House, as they consider, and I think rightly so, that an elective Upper House would naturally be divided into political factions similar to whatthe Lower Houso is now, and instead of being an independent revising Chamber they would liko most mc.nbei-s of our present Parliament bo wedded and pledged to their party, and to main- ' tain' their seats would spend their timo electioneering through Hansard. The other question is embodied in tho request mado to tho Prime Minister the. other day by a largo deputation of members, asking him to bring in a Bill to provido a pension for members who had served a given timo in Parliament. Now, Mr. Editor, my suggestion is that both those questions should bo taken together, and that tho country,_ which has been at the expense of giving its members practical legislative experience should still continue to have tho benefit of that experience; and to enablo that to bo done I should suggest that any member who had sat continuously in Parliament for a term of say nino years should by right of such services bo entitled to a seat in the Upper House, for a tcim to bo appointed, thus giving tho country tho benefit of his | knowledge and experience. And after tho completion of such appointed term to rotiro with the titlo of "Hon." if he wishes, and tho desired pension as well. Thus tho country would have the 1 benefit in its revising Chamber of its ' tried and experienced legislators, and | their appointment would bo indirectly 1 from tho people, and political appoint-. ' ments, as in tho past, of men unfit for | tho position would bo do no away with. '• It is sad to think that under our jirc- • sent systom somo of our most brilliant 1 and experienced legislators have been • forced into retirement, and tho places ■ which they would have dono justice and ' honour to undor this system (frco from ■ party ties and with only one object in view—to revise and legislate in the country's interest), filled in some in- ; stances with inexperenced men whom . tho electors would hestate to appoint > oven to a road board. i I feel satisfied, Mr. Editor, that tho I question is ono worthy.of serious con- . sideration, as if in any branch of our r Legislature wo require independence, . ability, and experience, it .is in tho re- > vising Chamber. Thanking you in au- > ticipation,—l am, etc., 1 ■ D. W. MACKAY. 291 WiUis Street, "Wellington.