NEW ZEALAND LEGION

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19011, 31 July 1933, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

SECOND CHAMBER REFORM

FUNCTIONS AND USEFULNESS.

LEGISLATION INOPERATIVE.

(Special to Times.)

WELLINGTON, Saturday

The Wellington morning paper, moved no doubt by an inspiration from the New Zealand Legion, has suggested to the community at large that the ,? time is opportune for a review of the constitution of the nominated branch of the Dominion’s Parliament. “.The deoline of the personnel numerically," it says, referring to the decadence of the Legislative Council in these later years, “has recently directed publio attention to its functions and usefulness, present and prospective. Chiming with the Legion’s campaign for more efficiency in government there is a fairly widespread demand for reform of the Second Chamber." All this, of course, has been plain enough, for everyone to see for years past, time and circumstances having greatly changed, since the Legislative Council Act of 1914 was the Statute Book to remain , there 'in impotence and disregard. That, however, is an old story, and there is no need for,Us reiteration here.' \ Constitution of the Council. It would seem to be the view of the Wellington authority just ‘quoted that any change in the constitution , of the Legislative Council should be shaped on the basis of the existing body with increased authority given to its members. It is essential, it is emphasised, that the number of Councillors should be fixed, that the Upper House should be a revising Chamber in a real sense, that the best men available should be. obtained irrespective of parochial claims, and that they should be representatives, as to the personnel of the House, of industry, commerce, the trades unions, the professions and so on. All this may look impressive when it appears in print, but really it is no more than the public has been enduring during the last half century. For the time being the Coalition Government has reduced the number of Councillors by one-half, but it is not unlikely that the breach will be repaired in the near future. Parliament’s Waste of Time. At the meeting of the National Council of the New Zealand Legion last week the executive of this active body presented a protest against Parliament’s waste.of time, whioh will bear repetition. “It is the duty of the Government before calling Parliament together,” the single paragraph ran, “to have all the proposed legislation ready for disoussion; that the Standing Orders of the House should be ! suspended if necessary to adopt or reject the Address-in-Reply without discussion, or after a debate limited to a few hours; that hours should be extended from the beginning if necessary; and that the whole time of the House should be concentrated on onlysuch legislative measures as are urgent to deal with the current session.” The authors of these - statements were not quite so well acquainted with the Orders of the House as is the Speaker, say, but they point the way to much-needed reforms. Test Next Election. , The two Wellington daily papers, neither of them particularly attached to the Coalition Government, extend a kindly band to the leaders of'the New Zealand Legion, and see they obtain their fair share ’of publicity. The members of the Cabinet, however, are not quite so cordially disposed towards\ the prominent figures of the Legion, nor is this very surprising. The occupants of the Treasury Benches are obsessed by the notion 1 that those members of the House who claim a reasonable measure of independence are out and out Socialists. “Socialism or anti-Socialism,” said the Hon. A., D. McLeod, addressing a meeting in Upper Hutt the other evening, “will be the test of the next general election, -and with a section of far T mers going socialistic it would appear as if Socialism must win." Whether this would be a good thing or a bad one Mr McLeod cannot foretell. _