NEW FACES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 200, 24 August 1937, Page 9

NEW FACES.

THE UPPER HOUSE. PENDING APPOINTMENTS. GOVERNMENT MAJORITY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. The most interesting pre-sessional question is that of the Legislative Council appointments, a number of which are sure to be made now that the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, ha s returned from abroad. Vacancies have arisen through the ?xpiration of the term of several members, and it will be a point for the Government's consideration whether any of the retired Councillors will be reappointed. The matter rests entirely with the Government, and former ministries have usually selected those with a favourable view on their policy. Though the Council is not conducted on party lines—there is no Leader of the Opposition on its benches—this secondary chamber ie an essential in the parliamentary scheme, for its approval is needed before any legislation can become law, the only limitation on the Council's powers beinjr in reepect to finance, the constitutional position being that the elected representatives of the people must bear sole responsibility for the levying of taxation and the expenditure of the money. However, the Council could become a serious etumbling block even in this sphere if it decided to exercise its undoubted right of complete rejection of a money bill, or a money clause in any legislation. The importance of the Council is, therefore, considerable, and it has had to agree to a number of measures involving complete changes in the policy formerly advocated by most of its leading members. They'have so far shown tact, and a reasonable recognition of the public verdict of the last genera] election. However, past Governments have always been eure of possessing a majority of friendly members in the Upper House, and it is now becoming an open secret that the new Labour Government proposes to take an early opportunity of making itself more eeeure in the Council. Therefore, whatever happens to the recently retired Councillors it may be taken for gTanted that new faces will be seen in the nominated chamber, and that the reinforcements will cordially support bills coming from the House of Representatives, and will not require the persuasive eloquence of the Hon. Mark Fagan, Leader of the Council, to give a favourable vote on anv policy question.