The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1914. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 31, 26 June 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1914. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

The opening of Parliament yesterday was accompanied by no pyrotechnical display. The proceedings offered no variation to those of the past—the same Governor's speech—only perhaps a little more redundant than usual—traversing events with which we are all familiar, serving up platitudes, congratulating the country upon its unexampled prosperity and its intense loyalty to the Crown, and disclosing just as little information as possible regarding the Government's policy measures to be dealt with this session. One thing, however, the Go. veruor, or, rather, his advisers, make plain, and that is a determined effort is to be made this year to alter the constitution of the Upper House. This has been blocked in the past by the "Lords" themselves, but owing to the effluxion of the terms of appointment and the death of quite a number of members, the numerical strength of the Chamber has been reduced to only twenty-eight. The Government has decided to create another batch of Councillors for the express purpose of carrying the proposed reform. But the Government lias sugar-coated the pill. It proposes that the Legislative Council Bill shall become law during the present session, but that its bringing into force shall be postponed until after the session of 1915. This concession no doubt is to give the public an opportunity of expressing its opinion upon the proposed change. The public, we are afraid, take very little interest in the fate of the 'Upper House. Quite a large proportion would not weep were it wiped out of existence altogether. Those that do manifest an interest in the subject are divided in their views. Sections of Eeformers and Liberals favor the elective principle; sections quite as strong the nominative principle; and Labor a small expert revisionary Chamber, with no power of initiative or veto. The Government, it must be said, is committed to the change; Upper House reform formed one of its chief planks of tiie party's platform, but in the light of what has happened in Australia during the past two years, no one would blame the Government were it to hold back indefinitely this very doubtful measure of reform. The Australian happenings have had many supporters of the Party in power to modify, if not entirely change, their views on the question, aiid if it comes to a straight-out issue where the members may cast their votes according to conviction, the proposal will be defeated in the Lower House. But, like faithful sheep, they will have to follow the 'hell wether when it comes to voting on what is being made a strong party question. _ This is the curse of the party game. Here is a measure which a considerable majority of the members of Parliament regard as inimical to the interests of the country, and yet, because in the past it has been -made a party war-cry, a majority is virtually ordered to pass it into law. It will, however, act as a boomerang on the party which is foisting it on the country. Election oi the reconstituted Chamber is to be en the proportional representation basis. If this takes place, there will be no logical reason why the same system Bhould not be applied to the election of members of the Lower House. Then, the present advantage possessed by country, electorates, the 28 per cent, loading, will most certainly disappear. This will place the country people in a position of considerable disadvantage, and injure their interests more than anything else could do.