THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13396, 26 January 1907, Page 6

THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS.

APPOINTMENTS CRITICISED.

VIEWS OF LEADER OF THE

OPPOSITION.

PUBLIC OPINION IN AUCKLAND

THE CITY'S INTERESTS OVER LOOKED.

A GRK.vr ileal of surprise was expressed in Auckland yesterday at the fact that the list of new Legislative Council appointments does not include the name of any Auckland representative. Mr. McCardle. residing as he does at Kawhia, is not looked upon as a representative of city interests, and, moreover, it was pointed out by several citizens in discussing the matter that Mr. McCardle has only recently arrived in the province, and that he is a We'.lingtonian as much as an Aucklauder. In business circles the surprise is particularly great that the commerce of the city is still without representation in the Upper Chamber, despite the recent statement of the Premier that all interests would be considered in making the new appointments-. " None of the present Auckland members of the Council." said a prominent business man in speaking to a Hik.u t> representative, can be said to really represent, commerce. A- a leading commercial centre we should have some representation in the Upper House, and I am surprised that the past oversight in this matter has not been reeiili'd in making the present appointments. The Southern influence appears to be very stronglv in evidence in connection with the new appointments, as even the Wellington appointees, although residents of the North Island, cannot be said to have in any way identified themselves with the interests of Auckland, or even o! the island in general."' The fact that no appointments have been made from the ranks of the Government and Labour party in Auckland City hah also been generally commented upon.

.Mil. MASSKY INTERVIEWED

APPOINTEES LACK ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS. Mr. W. E. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, was interviewed by a Hkk.m.i) representative yesterday, and was asked to express his opinion generally on the new appointments. "What do 1 think of the appointments.'' he answered reflectively. "Well, I think that men appointed to the Legislative Council should, it possible, be men who have had legislative experience, men, too. who possess the confidence of the public, and whom tile public can look up to and respect. If I were to ask you how many of those just appointed possess the qualification* i have outlined, I venture to say the answer would be 'Very few indeed.' There is one appointment," Mr. Massey .added, " to which no exception can be taken, and I refer to that of Mr. 0. Samuel, of New Plymouth, who I believe will be an acquisition to the Council, and whom the electors would have been willing to select as one of their representatives at any time during the last dozen years. But the others —and this is the real test —would scarcely have a chance under an elective system, .vhere the people, had free choice, without any other influences being brought to bear.'"

" The Premier declared at the conversazione, at Wellington on Thursday night, that when the appointments were being made provincial representation and population basis had to be considered. In your opinion has he followed out that idea';"

"My answer to that question,"' Mr. Massey stated with emphasis, " is. What consideration has been given to the representation of the Auckland provincial district".' li the Premier thinks that the great commercial, agricultural, and industrial interests of this province are to be satisfied with one representative, whose address is Kawhia, then he is very much mistaken?''

"Then you think the gentleman who have been appointed are not representative of the colony as a whole."

" I am certainly of that opinion. I think the appointments, as a whole, will not be satisfactory to the electors of the colony, and present .another very strong argument in favour of an elective system. I simply cannot understand how self-respecting men can accept the position of a member of the Council under such conditions: and in any case, in a democratic community like New Zealand, the system of appointment by the Government of the day should not be tolerated."

"Would you go so far as to say a second Chamber is unnecessary, providing, of course, a change to the elective system is not made?

"I look upon a properly constituted Legislative Council as a very useful institution, but many of the appointments of the last few years have almost led me to believe that our Legislative Council is not worth the money that it costs the colony, and that we would be better without it than with it."

Mr. aLissey also stated that he will take an early opportunity of discussing the matter further from the public platform.

LIBERAL AND LABOUR FEDERATION. Mr. T. Harle Giles, secretary of the Auckland branch of the Liberal .and Labour Federation, on being seen, expressed surprise that Mr. P. J. Nerheny, president of that branch, had not been called to the Council. " The late Premier himself intimated to me before his visit to Australia." raid Mr. Giles, "that it was his intention to recognise Mr. Nerheuy's great services to the Libera) party by elevating him to the Upper House, a.nd th«; intention is well-known to the present, Premier. The general feeling, so far as I can ascertain from the people I bay:' met to-day. is one of intense surprise that Mr. Nerheny's name is not among the list of those appointed. 1 really feel unable to express any further opinion on the matter until I have interviewed Sir Joseph Ward on the subject." Mr. Nerheny was also seen, but he declined to make any .statement regarding the new appointments.

■ A LABOUR LEADER'S VIEWS. Mr. Arthur llosser, secretary to the Auckland Trades and Labour Council, and a loader of the Labour party in Auckland, on. being interviewed, said:—"l know both -Mr. Ban- and Mr. Paul, and I think they will both make excellent legislators. They represent perhaps opposite lines of thought on some matter's, but they are both of the highest type of labour men. As for Auckland 1 feel that there must be some good reason why the city has been overlooked. I notice that the ether cities are well represented, there being only one country member in the whole of the South Island anpointments. Taken altogether I think the Government has endeavoured, up to a certain point, to include all classes of the community, but I think that organised labour, in view of its proportion to the rest of the community, is entitled to more than two extra representatives. Auckland has been entirely overlooked in this matter. It has not had a Labour representative appointed to the Council since the appointment of Mr. W. T. Jennings. When he resigned and secure*] a. seat in the Lower House his place was not rilled. Wellington has Messrs. Rigg and Jenkiuwm, and Christchurch and Dunediu are now both represented, but the Labour party in Auckland has no one to attend to its interest,'; in the Upper Chamber,"