THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13397, 28 January 1907, Page 5

THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS.

PREMIER DEFENDS THE

APPOINTMENTS.

NO GROUND FOR DISSATISFACTION

IN" AUCKLAND

Si'KAKi.vu in regard to the new Legislative Council appointments to a Hkrai.d representative on Saturday, Sir Joseph Ward said that he could see no occasion for the criticisms regarding the omission of the names of any Aucklanders from the list. Auckland city, he said, already had several representatives in the Council, and the Auckland Province had now got 10 members, which was a fair proportion. Auckland: Province was entitled to only three more members, and Poverty Bay, which was without representation, was entitled to one of these, whilst the claims of the Maori race could not be passed over. The commercial people had no cause for complaint, as he thought that the commercial interests had always been well represented. As to the Labour party, it now had four or live special representatives in the Council. 'the fact, that none of these were from Auckland was beside the question. The workers in the Council represented the labour interests of the whole of the colony, and not merely of the districts in which they resided. The Cabinet had carefully considered the matter from a national rather than from an entirely local standpoint, and they had done what was considered to lie in the best interests of the colony as a, whole, due regard being paid, of course, to the representation of interests in the previous personel of the Chamber.

The frequent doubts expressed as to the utility of the Legislative Council were referred to by the Hon. Major Harris, M.L.C., in replying to the toast of the " Upper and Lower Houses" at the luncheon tendered to the Premier at Pukekohe on Saturday. According to some people, lie said, the Legislative Council was like the fifth wheel of a coach—of neither use nor ornament. They had also heard a great deal of the necessity of either ending or mending the Council. Well, after all the Council had not been ended, but it had been mended—(laughter) — and he hoped that the repairs effected would lie satisfactory to the people at large.

Mr. Massey. M.H.R., who replied on behalf of the Lower Chamber, laughingly remarked that Major Harris had told them one side only of the story. The Legislative Council also had the right to initiate legislation, and sometimes the members of that body were, foolish enough to introduce Bills. They should see the mess that these Bills were sometimes in when they were sent to the House. They were often 20.000 timesworse than the Bills sent from the House to the Council. (Laughter.)