GOVERNMENT'S POINT OF VIEW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 53, 26 November 1907, Page 5

GOVERNMENT'S POINT OF VIEW.

THE PREMIER INTERVIEWED. ' < COMMENTS ON THE SESSION'S WORK. • The l'remicr managed to securb a few moments to himself last night after saying .good-bye to members, but kindly cor.scntcd to review the session's work. " 'l'ho work of the session lias been ;ui;mittodly heavy," ho said, "from the fact that a moro than ordinary number of policy Hills have been dealt with. From the Government's point of view, 1 consider that the question of laud tenures, which has formed the subject of very extensive discussion for somo years throughout the country, has been iplaced on a definite basis; and tho fact of there having bean divided opinions in the i House rendered tho passing of such legislation extremely difficult. That, togothcr with tho Land and Income Tax Assessment Ui)l formed two very important policy mea-snrca ! that make tho session a memorable ono." TARIFF. : As to tho difficult question of tarilf adjustment, tho Premier said he had always recognised that a Government when it tacklod tho tarilf tacklcd one of the thorniest Subjects it was possiblo for a represcaiaiiro

issombly to for obvious reasons. "It is th'o ono- class -of legislation that touches directly and indirectly every portion of.the.community, and,to have' got a. tariff measure upon tho: Statuto Book; in addition -to'the other important policy Bills, is a big feat/' ■" ■ ■ ' ■/■. '■' •' ANTI-GAMBLING BILL. 'lhon there was,tho measure dealing with i gambling, a subject around which'thero was i very strong, fooling on both sides; and to ! hare .passed .a .Bill—which would havo the . immediate effect of concentrating .betting on race-courses—added further to the programme he had already described as heavy. | . / INFANT LIFE. >" The Infant Life Protection Bill—a subject of vory great importance to the country— was a measure that should'do a/great deal of good. Apart altogether' from ' the monetary value it was. to a country to havo its population' strengthened, in earlier syears, there was the humane side—the prevention l'- »f deaths from available causes. ' i x AN UNUSUAL BILL-OF-FARE, ', The sessional work, continued tho Premier, "had been extended to a longer , period than 'casual, but when it was remembered .that' ?rom causes entirely beyond the control of 'himself, or any member of-.the House, they ' had had an accumulation of work ; at: the beginning of tho- session, it was satisfactory, to the members on both sides" of the House'that t they had got through; and,' 'consideringalso the unusual bill-of-faro put'.thro'iigKi 'arid that : it had' been done without- any unnecessary friction or 'unusually long sittings, 1 the session in this respect was a record ono. Speaking for himself, he could not feel, other'than pleased at the outcome of the I sessional work. "And! can only hope," ho ' concluded; "that - upon tho ; whole it'.may: prove to. bo useful and valuable to, the citizens of the Dominion.", ,1 : •