THROWN OVERBOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18534, 9 October 1920, Page 8

THROWN OVERBOARD.

Toe majority of the people, like ourselves, will shed no tears over the destruction—for that probably is what the postponement means—of the Reform Party’s reform of the Legislative Council. Never was the measure fair to the democracy, although it was camouflaged with democratic drawings. It was intended to provide that for y very many years the Reform Party might be sure of a majority in the Upper House, notwithstanding that the country might he —as it is—opposed to that party. It . was intended to give the Masseyites all thq credit for having democratised the • Legislative Council, by making it elec- ’ tive, while they ensured predominance in the Chamber by retaining the power ; of nomination in respeot of one-half of 5 the members. As a reform, in fact, this *•' measure was a swindle, and so we are ,• not sorry to see it thrown overboard. But with the jettisoning of this Act - there must also go, we submit, a substantial proportion of whatever respect - the Reform Party may think it has for itself as a party. The nominative sys- . tem, which Mr Massey and bis friends now are retaining, was scorned and jeered and jibed at by them when they were desperately seeking office disguised as “the only true Liberals.’’ They , would put a stop to this form of patronage, by which friends of the party in - offico and unsuccessful candidates for tlxe House of Representatives might be foisted into the Upper House. By placing the Legislative Council on an elective basis the Reformers olaimed at the last election that they had “ abolished the political patronago that was eating like dry-rot int-o the body politic.” That, however, was merely an election etuntj a stunt of an election in which proportional representation, the basis of the Legislative Council “ reform,” would have been absolutely fatal to Mr Massey and his friends. We think there are three main reasons why the Reformers are going back on their noheme to reconstitute and democratise

the Legislative Council—<(l) That the results of last election have made them more them ever afraid of proportional representation; (2) that they never were earnest in the matter; (3) that they naturally are opportunists and makebelieves. The abandonment of this policy is, however, rather hard upon honest people whose support it may have attracted.