The Legislative Council

The intimation which was given by Sir James Parr yesterday that nine members of the Legislative Council whose term expires to-day are not to be reappointed will not have been wholly unexpected. The members themselves whose period of appointment was drawing to a close will have experienced no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that, as Parliament is on the eve of going into recess, the Government was likely to hold over in the meantime the consideration of the question whether all, or any of them, should be reappoinged. At the present time even the saving that can be effected through the non-payment of the salaries of the nine members of the Upper House during a parliamentary vacation is not to be despised. There does seem, however, to have bee a certain lack of courtesy on the part of the Government in its omission to convey an earlier intimation of its intentions to the members who are retiring at the present time. A bald intimation on the day prior to the conclusion of the term of their appointment that their services will not be required in the meantime, even if accompanied by a conventional expression of regret, is a somewhat brusque method of dismissing those who have given years to the service of the State. The nine members themselves will no doubt accept their dismissal, whether it be temporary or permanent, in a philosophic spirit. Mr G. M. Thomson seems to have admirably expressed, on their behalf, sentiments that were appropriate to the occasion. They will realise better than persons who have less opportunity of gaining knowledge of the affairs of the country at first hand, that the Government is forced to reduce the national expenditure in every possible way. It is not to be suggested, of course, that a reduction of the personnel of the Council to 26 members, which will be its strength from next week, necessarily affects the capacity of the Second Chamber for usefulness. Its members bring to bear upon legislative matters a judgement calmer and more mature, perhaps, than that of the House of Representatives, and a Council composed of fewer than 26 members, chosen with due regard to their qualifications, would be not less efficient, and in all probability far more efficient, than a Council of the size that has for many years past been accepted by the politicians of the Dominion as necessary for the adequate revision of the legislation passed by the representative Chamber.