INCREASE IN STRENGTH

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TWO MEMBERS DUE TO RETIRE The appointment of 11 new members of the Legislative Council, announced yesterday, brings the total membership of the council to 33, after a long period ol' comparative weakness in numbers. This number, however, will perhaps be reduced by two as from to-morrow, the date on whicxi two councillors, the Hon. G. J. Smith and the Hon. R. Scott, are due to retire. Whether they will be reappointed is not yet known, but in any case the strength of the council will be much greater for the work of the coming session. The latest appointments equalise, to a large exfent. the representation of the various provinces. Wellington now has seven councillors, Canterbury and Auckland six each, and Otago five. Before these appointments were made the Auckland |..ovince was. numerically speaking, poorly represented. Although Auckland contains about onethird of the population of the Dominion, it was previously represented by two councillors only. But the addition of Messrs John Alexander, Thomas Blcodworth, Archibald Burns, and E. R. Davis brings Auckland's strength to six. Wellington, with four members before, has a stronger team since the appointment of the Hon. G. J. Anderson. Messrs William Perry and V. A. Ward. Selection of Councillors Although it is a popular belief that a Government confines its selection of Legislative Councillors to "friends and supporters," there is ample proof to the contrary, even in the latest appointments, several of whom are wellknown Labour men. This recalls the famous incident of the appointment of the "Twelve Apostles" by Mr John Ballance in 1892. Included in the 12 were four Labour men, the first so appointed in New Zealand, namely, Messrs W. M. Bolt. W. T. Jennings. J. E. Jenkinson. and J. Rigg.

The Earl of Onslow had refused to appoint more than eight councillors. The succeeding Governor, the Earl of Glasgow, took a similar stand, with the exception that, owing to the death of one member of the Council, he agreed to nine appointments. The matter was referred to the Home Government, with the result that the Governor was directed by Lord Ripon, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to accept the advice of his Ministers. The 12 appointments were accordingly made, but, as two more deaths had occurred of members of the Council, the eventual margin of difference in the strength of the Council was reduced to on,e. Other Labour Appointments Several other Labour appointments were made in later years. In 1907 Mr J. Barr, president of the Christchureh Trades and Labour Council, and Mr J. T. Paul, former president of the Dunedin Trades and Labour Council, took their seats in the Council, in 1921 Mr W. H. Mclntvre, who had taken a prominent part i:i miners' union affairs, was appointed. He is still a member. Another present member of the Council who has been closely identified with mining work is Mr Mark Fagan, who stood as a Labour candidate at Motueka in 1925. He was appointed to the Council in 1930. Nineteen Members The present members of the Council and the dates of their appointments and their retirements are as follows: OrWi,:,) Term '■t iioii*. A 'j.ini.'iliui'Ml. Kxptrt'S. AIK-.n, .sir .J. June 1, l:,_' 7 ii. June. -_»o. IIJJO .liuip -1, 1071 Si),ill., C. I oni.d, tir W. Oct. c, lor; Oct. Collin.-,. Col. W. K. .1(111. -J-J, law Juiv 1:1, 1 :j-!3 r, J. July 11, JO! I .Moo T, ]!. ~ ~ -Melr.i.vn'. \\*. 11. " Sept. 2, 1021 Sopt. 1, 1935 Sumltirass, W. W. P.ud.lo, 11. J ulit 1 , 11, 1 '.•:!< i .tunc: In, I-V-rii, M. ItcC'niliiiii. 11. Mi.si.-r-i, 1!. .Slovoi.kot., W. Truvi-! hick, .1. Cnmi'i'OiiS, Sir AV. M:ir. 17, 1!IC! M:ir. U'., IS-'W Bell, Sir K. )). If, July 30, V.M.: May 10, iOi'i Carrui'-rton, C. .1. June 17, i'llG .June 1«, Hunan, •). i, »