The Waikato Times FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1934. REFORM OF THE LORDS

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19456, 21 December 1934, Page 6

The Waikato Times FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1934. REFORM OF THE LORDS

Acquiring now something of the qualities of a hr y annu , the question of the reform of the House of Lords has een ma u a stealthy appearance in political and semi-political discussions m Britain. Recent pronouncements by Labour leaders have ma e i clear that the question is one which the present Government shou face unless it wishes the task to remain as a duty for a P° ss * e successor. Even with the curtailment of its powers by t e ar 1a ment Act of 1911, the House of Lords is still able to impose a temporary check on undesirable legislation, and the Labour Party dec ares that it means to abolish that Chamber if and when it returns o power.

To meet this threat it would be advisable to consider the 4 ues tion of reform so that the position and powers of the Upper ouse should be clearly defined while reasonable consideration of the su ject is still possible. Merely to restore to the House its earlier status, however, would be a mistaken policy, for it would at once raise the old cry of “Peers versus People.” Such a cry wou become a catchword capable of conferring distinct advantages upon Labour candidates for the House of Commons at the general e ection. What is needed at the present moment is not an extension o the present powers of the House of Lords —although that is in many respects desirable—-but an improvement in its constitution.

It has beeij suggested that elected representatives of county councils and borough councils should be accommodated within the Upper House. . This departure, it is claimed, would be a distinct advantage to the whole system of local government. At the same time it is generally admitted that the number of peers entitled to* sit and vote in the House of Lords is too great.

Nevertheless, it would be a tragedy if the hereditary character of the House of Lords were to be destroyed. It is the oldest legislative assembly in the world. It came into existence long before the House of Commons, and on the whole its record has been good., Normally, it nlakes few alterations in measures passed by the Commons, but there are numerous records of occasions where changes made by the Lords have prevented serious legislative blunders.

The best plan that has been put forward is to leave the existing peers the duty of electing part of their number to sit as representatives of their in the Upper House. A total assembly of 300 members would probably be sufficient, and of these 200 might be peers selected by their fellows and 100 the representatives of the county and borough councils. The traditional character of the House of Lords would thus be seoured, while adding to it a very useful new contingent to represent the local authorities in the central legislature. So much for the constitution of the House of Lords. The question of its powers is one which might with wisdom be left until a later date, but there is no reason why a reform on the lines indicated should not be put in hand immediately.