N.S.W. POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1925, Page 4

N.S.W. POLITICS

UPPER HOUSE APPOINTMENTS. SYDNEY, August G. The first plank of the State platform of the Labour Party provides tor tho abolition of the Legislative Council, and there has been some talk ol the Government swamping that Chamber as the first step towards the carrying out of the reform in the early future. There are, of course, hundreds of aspirants for the honour of sitting in tho Upper House, even if their life there mav he short-lived, lor a seat in that House carries with it not a few of the little perquisites that are beyond humbler mortals. The proposal, however, to swamp the Utilise with Labour nominees will he yvith-holcl until the Legislative Council rejects or materially amends some vital Government measure, affecting Labour’s declared policy. Only two new Labour appointments have been made therefore, instead of the big batch of about twenty that were talked of, lor the purpose of strengthening the Government’s pccsitiou in relation to some of the industrial legislation contemplated by the Cabinet. The Government apparently recognise- the unwisdom of any precipitous reform as far as the Legislative Council is concerned, apart altogether from the doubt as to whether the Governor would give his consent at present to tho appointment of a big hatch of new members. Even the Premier has admitted very frankly that the Legislative Council treated tho last Labour Government “fairly well," in assisting in the passage of the I-l-hour Bill, and other effective measures of reform. It may he said, as a matter of fact without Dias, that the Upper House of this State compares quite favourably with the Legislative Councils of the other States, elective or nominee, although. of course, among the less moderate Labour element this is no recommendation. The Upper House, of course, has its mediocrities, like tho elective Lower House, but at the same time among its members are some of the finest intellects in the State, men prominent in the arts and professions, and not a few who, although opposed to Labour in a general way, have helped it in the past, as Mr I.ang admits, to fashion some of its best legislation.