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Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1929, Page 4

Jn March, General Primo de Rivera announced that the Spanish dictatorship would not last for ever, and that steps were being taken to formulate a constitution. Last week it was stated officially that the new constitution had been prepared and would be presented to the National Assembly. General Primo de Rivera said that the project would later be submitted to plebiscite, as the Government desired the people to resume control of the State. Under the neAv regime, the . Cortes is to consist of a Chamber of Deputies of whom 300 are elected by direct suffrage, 150 by tne social groups, and the remainder (the number unspecified) are to be appointed by the Crown. Full executive authority is given to the King, who can summon and dissolve the Cortes. To assist him there is to be an executive council of forty-eight members, the president and vice-president appointed by the King. Eight members are to be elected by the Deputies; eight are to be chosen by the social groups, and the remaining thirty-two are to be members of the royal family, soldiers, sailors, archbishops and

high public functionaries. The King may freely appoint and dismiss Ministers who may not be Deputies nor members of tiro council. Extensive ordinance-making power is reserved to the executive, and even complete control over the purse is vouchsafed to the Legislature. There are no guarantees of private rights in the constitution. The proposed constitution is brief, and if it goes into effect will have to be implemented by legislation. It is impossible to tell from the constitution exactly what is proposed in respect of representation of social groups Pi'imo de Rivera, however, has evidently taken a leaf out" of Mussolini’s book. In Italy the decision has been reached to give the Italian Chamber an occupational basis. Both tne industrial and political constitutions of Italy have become strongly syndicalist in character. Spain is following the same course. Th,e Latin dictatorships in Europe have a kinship with the dictatorship in Russia, for the mechanics of power of the Soviet is occupational and syndicalist, rather than territorial and political. The original constitution of Spain, on normal modern lines, was ratified in March of 187 d, hut in September, 1923 General Priino de Rivera was charged with the government of the State by Royal Decree, on account of the chaotic condition of the country’s affairs, and the unrest due to the prolonged and unsuccessful war in Morocco. Two yeai's later the Military Directory was supersededby a civil Government under the presidency of de Rivera. The dictator has on several occasions announced his retirement. The National Assembly has no legislative powers, being merely consultative.