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Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1917, Page 2

! The trouble with regard to the National Efficiency Board is to be solved by the National Government securing five of the members and adding two Ministers. This •will constitute a Board of seven members. The Cabinet Ministers on the Board will bo the B.t. Hon Mr. Massey, and the Rt. Hon Sir Joseph Ward. The namos of the five non-parliamentary members is not yet disclosed but will consist of representatives of the commercial, industrial, and primary industries of the country. Only some of the former members have agreed to retain office, so thero will be some new blood introduced. It may be assumed that for tho future the Board will bo mainly advisory. It assumed greater powers than thus in tho past, and has resigned because .it could not obtain its full objective. So far tho Efficiency Board has been very much of a fifth wheel to tho state coach. It has organised systematically and with a wide scope of committees, has an organisation capable of undertaking much national work if occasion demands. The calling up of the Second Diviaon will give an opening for the utility of the organisation, us many walks of life will be < entrenched upon when the first grades of the new division are called into camp. The Board has its roa] work ahead of it, and it is to be regretted that the capable gentlemen who laid the foundation for the. future are not all continuing in office to see the full benefits derived from their careful preparation. The Ministers, offer nil, in a body such as this, will bo more ornamental than useful, because tho practical work of detail will be in the liands of the working members of the Board.

The Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., recently raised the question of the constitu-

tiion of the Upper 'Hbuso, and his query elicited an interesting reply from the leader of tho 'Legislative Council Sir Francis Bell. Mr. Paul pointed out that 1892 tho Council contained 35 members, in 1893, 46, in 1900, 45, in 1905, 44, in 1910, 42, in. 1915,.37, in 1916, 34, while the present members numbered 24. Sir Francis Bell said in reply that Government was satisfied that the present members duly discharged their responsibilities. Tho Council during the two immediately preceding sessions, and during the present session, by reason of the attention of Parliament being confined principally to finance and war legislation, had had little to occupy its tiino. Addition? to its members would not increase its opportunity for usefulness at present. The Government, however, proposed at an early date to advise the appointment of additional members of the Council. Sir Francis wont- on to say that the 'National Government was cot united in opinion on the oiiestion of the constitution of the Upper House, and this fact probably more than any other accounts for the delay in bringing the Legislative Council up to fair representation. There wn s a measure passed in 1914 for the election of a Upper House on piopjortional representation, but the operation of this measure, was suspended by tacit agreement between the parties when tho National Government came pnt-o existence.' The choice of n dozen members to the Council just now would be a matter of some delicacy. as each party would require a quota of the representation, and herein there is a clue to the protracted delay in dealing with the matter. Perhaps by the end of the present session some agreement might be reached between tho leaders whereby the present difficulties in tho way will be removed.