THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 18845, 10 June 1920, Page 4

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Most people will be surprised at the statement by the Wellington corespondent of the Dunedin Star that It is understood that 50 lions have been made to the Prime Minister for consideration of Cabinet when making new appointments to the Legislative Council before Parliament meets at the end of the present month. The number of names recommended to the Prime Minister for consideration is enough to cause comment, but there will be far more ciiticism of the suggestion that the Government intends to appoint any members to the Legislative Council. The measure by which Mr Massey in 1914 put the .Upper House on an elective basis was most explicit in its statement that in future there were to be no more appointments to the Legislative Council. The war complicated matters and in 1910 the application of the new law to the parliament of the dominion was postponed until January 1, 1920. Before that dale, however, the act of 1916 was repealed and it was then provided that the law of 1914 should be brought into operation by proclamation in the Gazette. That law is not yet in operation if the Government intends swelling the number of legislative councillors, because there can he no doubt of the intention of tho Act of 1914. which is clear in its declaration on this point. Apart from this legal aspect of the matter, however, there can be no question that Mr Massey, not once but many times, has condemned the system of appointing members in the Upper House and has promised to end it. Some little time ago he made a number of appointments but they were undoubtedly necessary because the Legislative Council had become so weak numerically that its proceedings bordered u|>on the farcical. It was desirable that the Upper House should be strengthened immediately, but that plea cannot be invoked now. The Legislative Council has a goodly number of members, and it is difficult to sec how any further nominations, in view of the legislation on the statute books, can be excused. The correspondent of the Dunedin Star may have misunderstood the position. We sincerely hope that he has because the appointment of more legislative councillors at this stage would fall little short of a political scandal. Mr Massey should be frank in this matter. Either the Act of 1914 was a sincere effort to put an end to the use of the Legislative Council for party purposes or it was not. The delay in bringing the vital provisions of the measure into operation inclines us to the second alternative, though our desires lead us to the hope that the first is a correct statement of the actual position. Mr Massey should clear this matter up at once, and let the country know exactly where he stands.