“EUGENICAL” LORDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 January 1929, Page 3

“EUGENICAL” LORDS

ELECTING SUCCESSORS.

Declaring that the principle of primogeniture was unscientific, Dr F. C.S. Schiller, in a paper on “Eugenical Reform of the House of Lords, ’ read before the Eugenics. Society, suggested that on the death of a peer his relatives should elect their worthiest member to succeed.

Dr Schiller contended (says the “Daily Telegraph”) that as a Second Chamber was comparable in politics with a Court of Appeal in law, it tended to be a Senate, but it need not be so octogenarian as the Court of Appeal. It should be constituted upon some distinctive principle, such as the representation of interests, which, though nationally important, were little able to obtain representation in the Commons.

The hereditary principle was not to be scorned. If hereditary ability existed it was unscientific not to utilise it.

“Truly scientific reform of the Lords,” Dr Schiller said, “would set out from the fact that heritable ability inheres in a stock and may come out in any of its members, male or female. Hence primogeniture! is unscientific: the stock should be represented by its ablest, member. This would be facilitated if in future the bestowal of a peerage meant the ennobling of a stock, and if on the demise of its first holder his relatives could elect his successor, and choose the worthiest. He would thereupon succeed to the title and the endowment of the peerage, which would be exempted from death duties. “This would be a strong inducement for the existing peers to join the ranks of the eugenical nobility. It would also be a powerful stimulus to all those eligible to a peerage to exert themselves and devote themselves to public service, and would go far to solve the problem over which education has hitherto always broken down, viz., how to induce the children of the rich and powerful to make the best of themselves.

“This ‘proposal would amount to a reconstitution of the ancient clan or gons, with the addition of its female members. Persons of noble birth would naturally be electors to members of peerages, and clan-feeling would stimulate a high standard of conduct in its members. It would also reinvigorate the family and stop its distintegration.

“Ultimately, as much as one-third or one-half of the Upper House might be composed of such eugenical peers. It would rapidly become more important because so much abler, than the Commons, especially if Ministers were allowed to address both Houses, and so the Prime Minister were allowed to choose the fittest men in making up his Cabinet, whether they sat in the Commons oi' in the Lords.”