DATE FOR ELECTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1946, Page 5

DATE FOR ELECTIONS

-Press Association

9 A Annoimcemenf Next Week HOUSE MAY ADJOURN

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, August 5. j An indication was given- by the ' Prime' Minister when- the- House of Rep- j resentatives . restuned. this afternoon,,! that the date of Ihe, next. electiont will ' prohahly he announced this week. It- . had: not. yet heen decided- whetheif the ,election., will he held on a Saturday or in the middl'e of the week. Mr. Praser also- said- that hefore the preservation cf the Budget on Thursday of next week, the House might adjourn for a few days hecause of the non-controversial nat'ore of the legislation- which was- forthcoming and the difficulty of keeping legislative work- in front of the House,- , ; In a discussion on the business faci-ng • the House, Mr. Fraser said that the legislation tliia session was- not so controversial as usual. Of the five- Bills iir the hands of eommittees,. tlie only oue on which there was any strong diffierence of opinion was the Factories Consolidation. Bill. The sanre thin-g, appliedi to Bills which were being prepa-red except for the Compensation Aniendinent BilL Mr. Fraser said so far as he could judge, the legislation was likely to oceupy the House for a short tizhe only. He had hoped it would have been pos-

sible for the Budget to be introduced' this week but it was physieally imposr sible for the Minister of Finance to give the necessary attention to the aeeounts and estimates in time and coiir sequently the matter would be held over until Thnrsday of next week. There was therefore, the opportunity which seldom arose, for the House to discuss reports if it so desired. The alternative was to have a few days' adjournment. It might be a matter for gratifieation that the Bills were- so non-controversial but it made it diffieult to keep. legislative work in front of the House. Once the Budget was presented he- beli'eved the House would co-operat.e- in regard to tlie consideration of the estimates, even to thc extent of talting extra d'ays if necessary. Mr. S. G. Holland said the House was obliged to- the Prime Minister of taking J Members so- frankly into his eonfidenee. The Opposition felt the eour'se- the Prime Minister proposed was proper. The House should not at any stage discuss reports just for the sake of d'oing so. It would be better to have an ad- j journment for a few daj's and the pub- 1 Tic would understand tliat. He sugges- . ted the Prime Minister might invite | him to discuss the situation in a day or : so when it was found what progress had been made. I Mr. Fraser thanked Mr. Holland for; the suggestion and said it would be | more businesslike to do as was proposed. The frittering. avvay of time did not add to the reputation of the Honse. Mr. Fraser added that he thought it would be desirable for the date of the election to be fixed as soon as possible so that the business of tlie H-ouse could be ar- j ranged to give adequate- time to- mem- ' ers,. particularly thohe with big eleetorates.