UPPER HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 119, 13 February 1941, Page 6

UPPER HOUSE

Twelve Retirements In June EXPIRY OF TERMS Reduction Of Strength Of Council Twelve members of the Legislative Council will complete their seven-year terms of appointment in |une, one on June 1 and 11 on June 22. All were appointed by the Coalition Government in 1934. The present strength of the Counci, is 37 and should no new appointments be made and none of the councillors whose terms are soon to expire be reappointed its membetship will be reduced to 25. The term of Sir James (Ot""o) will expire on June 1. I ‘ic «>» oo uro*—The Hui). J. a t ex under (Auckland), H°'>Uuckiand), Hom -V Hon ’w. Hayward (Canterbury), Hon. J. McLeod 1 Taranaki>. Hom I. - O’Bvrne (Southland), llon - e , ‘. Hou. Sir R H--1 Cnuterburv), Hon. 1‘- Waite (Otago), ami Hon. V. A. Ward (Wellington). With the exception of Sir James Mien and Sir Heaton Rhodes, who have both sat in the Council fov l wo terms, all the retiring <-7 uucl |" rs Ti^ v ® served for one term only. Sn James was first called to the Counc. on June 1 1927, and ou the expny of that lei it seven rears later he was immediatelj to the Council. Sir Heaton Rhodes was first appointed to the Counc ton October 28, 1925. This apSment expired - 1932, and it was not till over 1b months ater that he received his second call to the Upper House. .... , No Limit Imposed.

Though there is no statutory limit ou the number of Legislative Councillors, the traditional practice for many years was to maintain the Council at approximately 40 members, representing half the strength of the House of Representatives. Before 1891 members of the Legislative Council were appointed for life, but in that year legislation was passed fixing the tenure at seven years, at which it still stands. Membership of the Council has been up as high as 53, and down as low as 18 The maximum figure was attained iu 1885 an'd 1886, and the lowest membership in recent times was reached earlv in 1934, when it tell away to 19. It was the appointment of the councillors whose terms are due to expire in a few months’ time that brought about an increase in the strength of the Council.

Legislation for the complete reform of the Council is already on the Statute Book, and requires only an Order-in-Council to bring it into operation. The Legislative Council Act, 1914, provided for a Council of 40 members elected on a proportional representation basis by the same electors as those for the House, but massed together in four electorates instead of 76, with Maori members, not more than three in number. appointed by the GovernorGeneral. The Act nas since been modified in some particulars, but has never been made operative. Thus the members are still appointed by the nominative method.