CALLS TO UPPER HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15746, 22 October 1914, Page 7

CALLS TO UPPER HOUSE.

SUGGESTION IN PARLIAMENT.

PRIME MINISTER QUESTIONED.

[by telegraph.—special

Wellington", Wednesday. During a reference in the House this afternoon to the Legislative Council Bill, Sir Joseph Ward remarked that it was currently reported that the Prime Minister intended to make a number of appointments to the Legislative Council before the elections.

Mr. Massey: Oh, nonsense !

Sir Joseph Ward insisted that the report was general, and he asked the Prime Minister directly whether any fresh appointments were to be made. " I think I am entitled to ask that," he concluded.

Mr. Massey: The right hon. gentleman may be entitled to ask it, but I don't know that I am bound to answer it. I know if I had asked him a similar question when he was Prime Minister, he would not have answered me. I only wish to say to the right honourable gentleman that I am not responsible for rumours that may be circulated. I will say this: That no proposal to appoint any fresh | members of the Legislative Council has been considered by the Government. I i will go that far.

Sir Joseph Ward: I would say to the hon. gentleman that the practice of his predecessors was not to make appointments to the Legislative Council on the eve of an election. (Laughter.)

The matter was again referred to during the evening's debate on the Legislative Council Bill, when Mr. Russell (Avon) stated, that there were circumstantial reports in circulation to the effect that a number of new members were to be appointed to the Council. He did not, he said, wish to mention-names, but he would go so far as to say that it was reported that a very respected member of the present House was to close a long political career as a* member of the Council. He asked the Prime Minister whether the Government intended to use the power that would be still left to it under the present Bill to appoint new members to the Council up to the end of next year. Mr. Massey: The Government will do what it considers to be right. Mr. .Russell: If the Government make any further appointments it will only make them for party purposes. The present Council, which consists of 38 members, contains 19 members who have been appointed by the present Government, as against 12 appointed by the Liberal Government, the remaining seven being life members. • For two years and three months the present Government has stuffed the Council more than any previous Government.

Mr. Massey said that Mr. Russell knew perfectly well that 38 was not the full strength of the Council, and that on previous occasions it had comprised as many as 44 or 45 members. The Government had it felt so inclined might, with every justification,, have appointed another halfdozen members. He felt sure that if the Governor had been asked to appoint another half-dozen members he would have done so. " When I look back and reflect upon what we might have done," added Mr. Massey, "1 am astonished at the moderation of the Government." (Laughter.)