The Press. FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1907.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12711, 25 January 1907, Page 6

The Press. FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1907.

THE (NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS. It was said when the new appointments to the Legislative Council were announced, tho list would be more or less of a surprise. This prediction has been verified, and mingled with the surprise will be a certain amount of disappointment on the part of the public. We admit at once that the list is superior to tho general average of tho late Mr r>eddon's appointments, hut Mr Soddon's standard, with few exceptions, was so low that the public at length came to the conclusion that ho had formed a deliberate policy of lowering the Council in tho estimation of the public, and consequently lessening its influence. What we particularly regret is that the Government has apparently attached so little importance to political experience on the part of its nominees. The bulk of them are little known outride their own particular localities. We are glad, however, to see that the Government has strengthened the legal element in the Council— a courso wo urged very strongly upon thorn some time ago. Mr Oliver Samuel, of Now Plymouth, in addition to his legal ability, has some political experience, having been a member or tho House of Representatives some years ago. Messrs Sinclair and Callan, of Dunedin, are hoth of good standing in the conveyancing branch of the profession, and although they are practically new to public life will doubtlen* bo able to do good service in helping to prevent tho bad draughtanienship which so frequently make our statutes a stumbi-

ing block to the layman and to the judges foolishnefe. Mr G. J. Smith is one of the few among the new Councillors who have had previous Parliamentary experience, and his appointment will give general .satisfaction in Christchurch. Mr Wi Pere is the only other ex-member of the House of Re-

presentatives whose name appears in the official announcement, and we have nn hesitation in saying at onoe that we reuaixi hia selection as the worst blot on the list. Neither hia career in the House nor hia connection with land transactions on the F.3st Coast have

been such as to inspire either natives or Europeans with confidence in him as a legislator, and it is difficult to imagine on whet grounds the Cabinet can justify his appointment. It will certainly not tend to give the Maoris confidence regarding the native land legislation of the Government. The selection of Dr. Collins, of Wellington, wo suppose, is intended largely as a compliment to the medical profession, since tho gentleman in question has never shown any special aptitude for public affairs, or even any particular interest in them, being always very much wrapped np in hia pror <flsk>n. Mr Luke, as an ex-Mayor of Wellington, has had a good training in local government, and has been an energetic and aggressive fighter in the Ministerial cause. Mr Gilmer is a very excellent hotelkeeper, and ive imagine will be a decided acquisition to the House Committee, but he has yet to prove his capacity as regards the science of politics. Mr R. A. Loughnan is an old journalist, who as editor of the "Lyttelton Times," and subsequently of the ''New Zealand Times," has been a staunch and consistent advocate of tlie Ministerial cause. We are not

sure that the custom of acknowledging the services of journalists by conferring on them titular distinctions is conducive to the best interests of the Press, although so high an authority as Mr Gladstone was, we believe, the first to introduce it into Enrxland, and it has since become very general. Mr Loughnans brethren of the pen will, wo feel snre, be the first to congratulate him on a distinction which they would hardly have ventured to predict was in store for him. Two Labour leaders—Messrs J. T. Paul of Dunedin, and Mr Barr of Christchurch—are included /m the list. Both are men of intelligence—the former especially—and if they are generally accepted by the Labour party as the best exponents of its views, their appointment will he justified. W r e quite agree that the labour side of public questions should be adequately dealt with in the debates in the Upper House. Three members representing the farming interests complete the Jist, Of these Mr MoCardlo and Mr Anstey wero members of tho Land Commission, and Mr McCardle has the further distinction of having been defeated in several Parliamentary elections, tho latest occasion being- when he tried to oust Mr Massey. Of Mr Tucker we know nothing personally, but we believe he is regarded as a man of standing in the Gisborne district. Of the list as a whole we think it might have been worse. At the same time it might very well have been better.