SPEAKER TO RETAIN SEAT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 76, 9 March 1931, Page 6

SPEAKER TO RETAIN SEAT

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO RETIRE WELLINGTON, This Day. Three members of the Legislative Council are due to retire within the near future and one's term of office has already expired, but in an announcement on Saturday the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said that no appointments would be made in the meantime excep! ' '. the case of the Speaker of the Upper House, Sir Walter Carncross, who would be reappointed for another seven years. Sir Walter Carncross is to retire from the Legislative Council on March 17, but according to the Prime Minister's decision he will retain his seat. The term of office of Sir Frederic Lang, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, expired on February 22, and he will be the first to lose his seat under the temporary ban on reappointments. Sir Frederic lost his seat in the House to Mr. W. J. Jordan, the present Labour member for Manukau, in the general election of 1022. Not Reappointed In addition, the Hon. A. S. Malcolm and the Hon. V. H. Reed are to retire from the Legislative Council on June 17, having served seven years, and neither of them will be reappointed if the present decision is adhered to. On the reassembly of the Upper House next week it will be necessary to elect a new chairman of committees in place of the late Hon. J. Barr. It is considered likely that the Hon. G. J. Smith will be elected, as he has acted as chairman of committees in the absence of Mr. Barr. The present strength of the Legislative Council is 39 members, and this number will be reduced to 30 if not appointments are made to fill the. vacancies caused through retirements falling due. Six appointments were made last year on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the new members being the Hon. It. Masters, now Minister without portfolio and deputy-Leader of the Legislative Council, the Hon. D. Buddo, the Hon. M. Fa'gan, the Hon. It. McCallum, the Hon. W. Stevenson and the Hon. J. Trevithick. _, L <%.