THE COMING SESSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 19 June 1914, Page 5

THE COMING SESSION.

SOME OF THE WORK. GRANTS TO LOCAL BODIES AND COUNCIL REFORM. By Telegraph—Press Association. C'hristchurch, Last Night. In the course of an interview to-day,' the Hon. H. D. Bell said the principal work of the coming session, he hoped, would be the reform of the present system of making grants to local bodies. )jn their first year of office, the "Reformers" had placed the civil service beyond the reach of political influence, and it •was hoped now to do the same with re- , gard to grants to local bodies. The 'making' of grants would be removed entirely from the field of Ministerial patronage. An independent and impartial authority would be set up to consider and deal with all applications for grants. '■ Regarding the reform of the Upper iHouse, the Hon. Mr. Bell said that the Government was absolutely decided that the. Legislative Council Reform Bill would go through this session, and would pass into law. The Bill would Joe practically the same as that introduced last session and- rejected. The constitution of the now Council would be practically the same as that proposed for the Irish Senate by the Imperial Government.. The Imperial proposal had .become law since the introduction of the Njow Zealand Government's Bill, on ■which it was virtually based. The Irish Senate proposals were practically those of the .Legislative Council Reform Bill of 1012, in that the election would be on the basis of proportional representation of four big electorates. In this matter there, was a great similarity between Ireland and New Zealand. In Ireland there were four big provinces— Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connaught. New Zealand consisted of two islands, each of which was naturally divided into two big districts . The system proposed was, therefore, peculiarly adaptable to both.