COMING SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 501, 7 May 1909, Page 6

COMING SESSION.

■ WHAT TO EXPECT.' , PROCEEDINGS OF EXCEPTIONAL' ]' L . INTEREST. PROGRAMME AND PROBABILITIES. . Raroly has a sossion of tho Now Zealand .Parliament been looked forward to with , " nioro eager and more gonoral interost tiian , the session which is to opon'noxt month. ( ] i For one roason or another, overybody seems to expect the proceedings to be particularly lively, if not unusually important. What will ■ our nowly-olooted Parliament, with its re- , ■ t constructed Ministry, its strengthened Oppo- , sition, and its rehabilitated placo of assembly, do for Now Zealand in this present year of ■ .j graco? i * "Tha-Prlmo Minister's Programmo. e '/ It' can scarcely bo the* 'official programmo _of tho Government, as already announced, that has inspired those cagor anticipations. ' "Our aim this session," said Sir Joseph Ward at Invorcargill, "will bo to placo on i 'the Statute Book some important measures \thal' will, in my judgment, bo of immense Bervico to this country." But tho list of measures with which the Prime Minister folr lowed up and amplified this declaration was ; . cot a long one, and much of it was by no „ means new. Tho National Annuities Bill and ' ■, the Lands for Settlement Financo Bill wore before the House last session, and the former • ( aa a proposal, or pious Ministerial hope, goes back to the days of Mr. Seddon. Other * reinstated items, of past programmes includo ~ amendments to the Friendly Societies Aot, ' the Hospital and Charitablo Institutions lAct, and the taking over of tho main roads of tho Dominion. The Government's inten- / trans towards the friendly societies were ' - stated categorically InvorcargilL In reJ gard to'hospitals and "charitable aid, a comprehensive Bill was circulated,in 1907, and , - was discussed by a conference of members of / boards during last recess. It will probably reappear with some amendments, but its mam ' principles—-to i make hospital and charitablo aid boards more representatrvo in their constitution and more uniform in their ■* functions and the areas of their jurisdiction, ftnd' to (liminish the amount of State assistance to charitable aid—will probably be reioinod. If,it i 3 proposed, that tho cost of charitable aid'be borne entirely by local 'taxation, which is nndorsteood to bo the poacy pursued, by Dr. Valintine, tho permanent head of tho Department, there will doubtless be a fight about it.- The measure id-ii ß, n? ' as - waU ■" *•"> Societies . Bill, will provide many points for discussion.

F Patchwork Legislation. "! 'Another class of measures which bio not altogether now are thoso intended to remedy flofects in previous legislation, and it is to this class that almost all tho other items m tho PnmojMuuster's Invercargill programme belong. He gave prominence to his proposed amendment of the Succession Duties Act, .which, byt "preventing evasions" and readjusting tho rates of duties, will produce, he anticipates, "a vary largo increase of rev,giuo. Than come the revision of the Bankruptcy Act, a task on which tho Hon IDr. Findlay and tho Law Drafting Office, , With tho advioo of tfie Clambers of Commerce, havo boon engaged for some months. t {The samo authorities have also been at work on the promised amendments to company Jaw. Amended legislation for tno N 'ropression , of fake trade descriptions is to form part of a revised Patent Designs and Trade Marks , 'Act, and other "patchwork" measures, will ,'' haro reference to tho Municipal Corporations Act, Crown Forests and Reserves, and Destitute Persons Act, the Habitual Drunkards 'Act, and tho Police Act. Two other measures which have been found during tho recess to have awkward holes in them are to be patched. -Thoso are the Education Act „ and tho Workers' Compensation Act. Tho i _ ■ storm which arose on tho question as to when , a largo proportion of tbo teachers were to receive their increased salaries, and the industrial convulsion caused by medical examination for "minor's disease" are fresh in memory, and- aro the causes of these last Iwo promises of amending legislation.

'> "Of More Importanoo. * There are certain other proposals' to which ( the term "amonding legislation"' might bo 'correctly applied, but they aro of such interest if they cannot rank as now political dep'artures, they bid fair to bo leadtog features of the session. Such aro tho defence proposals, which havo as yet been but vaguely outbiod by tho Prune Minister, but which will include changes in the volunteer system and financiil arrangements for mooting the cost; "during our generation," of the Dreadnought gift Of even greater interest to a large section of the people is the 'Echome' for the reorganisation of the Civil .Service, which will bo placed before tho House pairtiy as legislation and partlv through the medium of the Estimates. Other proposed measures of an important financial character are the somewhat uncertainly-fore-shadowed measure to permit of an increase Hi the number of banks in tho Dominion and a. Bill to provido for further expansion of the advances to Settlors Department Tho pro- • posal that .has tho newest loolc of anything - Jin %-programme is tho legislation for tho construction of radways trader guarantee ngamst loss. K A List. To sum up—the Invercargill programmo • consists of about 21 Bills, intituled somewhat .as follows:— Banking Amendment. Advances to Settlers Amendment. Defence Amendment. Naval Contribution. Publio Sorvice Amendment. National Annuities Land for Settlements Finance. Bankruptcy. Patent Designs and Trade Marks Amendment. Companies Amendment. ' I'nendly Societies, Hospitals' and Charitable Aid. »' Education Amendment. Workers' Compensation Amendment. Municipal Corporations Amendment, i , Main Koads. I Crown Forests Eoserves Amendment. Dostituto Persons Amendment. Habitual Drunkards Amendment. Police Amendment. Itailway Construction.

:;;;> ',:;;i!f;-^;:'rA;v^L;eglslatlybj. i Mr ? v is. 'It •; may/-bo .•; said ■■ thai;.' such, a ilist -has not ;/:;taactly,;a/ : legislatively:;restful look,' outfit- is /;., worth; recalling that over'6o. Bills were'-pro-' :v:.inis(xl : ;-?» n t| vthatvParuament-:actually: passed.'about :'6O public; Acts." ■;.Nearly, 'all' of these were -:-;U6vernment measures.vand the number does /:.;.not .include ]oca]:;Bills.;;;;On/the : other :hand,' '.Vjlt'vmay/.be.'.noted' that .shortly..-before last ■ ;.'. session 'the -Primo;;Minister :'gave : a list of ■/hthe;measures, the/ Governmentiintended 'to i'-.^nns^orward,..and..their/.number/was only h ? : -;W::v--,The:. only things can can; be said 'with /.■certainty,;, about , the// Government's ;pr<>:' ','!' gramme; of for-!, the :. session, /are /;:: thatnobody -knows. nrucEitsmay.: be ■/vlengthened'.'bofore Parliament'; meets,; nor //flow/much'/pf the /-/jnombors-gO'/home again. :;':.i- ;.'::; v>;i:'.;/ ;

l-x?'->■;'- Measures' Foreshadowed. ; ':-'*: •;'. Several other measures besides those named r."; above :have'been;more 'or.'less definitely forovv; shadowed'/by .'.Ministers;.': •:':■ ( The: Hon. ■ J. '••': A. ■. ;■: Millar,' aa ifimsior of 'Marine,' promised' some ... : J time ago to .introduce, a measure .for the re-: JV::"gnlaiiqn';of oil launches .plying for, hire, and [■■ ■};;. nls6't6;;bring;before Parliament the question ■■■:■ .of amending the law whereby aforeign .'ship JV;:mny now/land damaged goods, in.Now.Zeai: : land : and leavo again'witnput; the owners of : ;,-;'-the .' goods':.'.boing ygiven Van; opportunity . of ';; compensation.MTie'same 'Minister ;M''has.; ; , comprehensive!. Harbours .Bill, :/■':';/whion, has ] already, appeared and Ireappearckl, i >;;and; will, * perhaps, bo .passed this ■ year.,: It, : ..';■.will! altor .• tho constitution/ of the: Harbour ;';': Boards, andvmako them', more uniform.''Bo-. gave uptho portfolio of Cus'•:V:toms;. he' promised "a :Bill :pn the,-lines of r:V:.English • legislation,. to : induco' patentees ..to their patents in,the. Dominion, ~. but tho promisoihaa not •been'repoatcd since :Vi' : - the-redistribution of portfolios.;'• The' Hon. yj ■'.-: ;-MT:,Buddo, as Minister of. Public Hcalth};haß ~;v: an indefinite encouragoment ,to the de-.

sire: of .the medical profession' for further anti-quackery legislation, and the Hon. Dr.. Findlay stated that he was considering certain complaints about the' Bystem of payment ■ of jurors., His promiso of 1 an amendment. to the-libel law, first mado in 1906, will, por- . be redeemed during the coming session,. and his Judiciary Bill will, no donbt, 'make its third, appearance. ."; ..'•■•: Reports of Commissions. -' ' ( There ;^will be the report of the Timber, Commission.for members to talk about, and' legislation-will probably; result; The report on the Addington Inquiry will also be dis- : cussed.. There will be the final reports of the Native_Land ; Commission,:and.some legislation arising therefrom. The consolidated version of the Native Land Laws will come; ■up'.for--enactment,' ; and it-can Hardly be, doubted that there will be, in this connection a "Washing-Up B01." ;•■' ••-':.,; L '- ■(:■'■'.; ',;'-, ; ;v.-:,The':Freehold. ,■ ''■ /^,■s.'.;;■" /'/Then thero is 'the big question'; of the IJEree-' hold tenure, which, in the opinion of many, will: be the biggest "snag", tho. Government , will'have to/encounter. It has, been shown that a majority of the members are pledged to.the freehold,.but what sort,of adjustment some of them are prepared-to make between ■these, pledges.-.and their ; allegiance; to,,the' Govemiriont is a-doubtful- question. lOne. forecast j which finds favour in some .well-in-ifonned quarters .is.that the .Government .will cut:,the Gordian- knot -by -declaring'-for, ; the' freehold-option for all Crown tenants; or at.'ariy..rate will:make.a long step-in that, direction. Mr. Massey ;may;'. %o relied' upon to, bring'the'question, up.-" -/' ;;j,/::;, : .Topics for Criticism.' -v// : ' ~ Finance, in view/of the:less satisfactory 'state'-,of affairs' revealed in -.the public accounts of the past,'year, will certainly'bo the: subject/of .more .'and' keener',criticism'/than has been usual in the last few- sessions. •■'V ,;;; The' Government's. public' service -retrenchment'scheme.will probably be discussed fre-: quently : ;;and freely, but ; :by -piecemeal.,■■■ The; AddTess^in-Beply:, debate,/; Imprest; .Supply, t Bills,''.questions,- and':' other ,; opportunities will be .seized upon .for -the purpose;: as - well,' '; as/more, formal /occasions. /The: changes in the. High.' Commissioner 1 s. office, will also re-, ceiye; their.' share "of -attention. .The Par-; .liamentary,Buildings:Bcheme,; which .was de-> cided on, last/session,- but-seems '.to be 'delayed in-the"'execution) may bo another, sub-: ject for a/good deal of talk. '-;;■-, /■"■', .: {/ ;lnterestlrig: Discussions. , ; ■-'■..■; -- ; : /'There, should- be -ah' interesting discussion when the ; member for, Bangitikei (Mr. Remington), makes his promised/explanation in regard to certain',/statements made' by. Mr. ' ,G. ; Hutchison during'the election campaign.; ••'■■'■'Tho-/Premier ■' has _stated\'that" there :will ,be ; ;np, licensing legislation ;by .the Government,/but it is'probable'that.tho/No- , License -.party /will"'again ,'try ..'to get their ■ bare, majority ..proposal on'the Statute/Book. between ;the; bare,,majority ...and'the thrcofifths majority.' of \tH6 ,oxisting ; .;]aw.-.ParLV ;mont/will take''the" regular, vote;on liquorselling, at-: Bellamy's/but it;isriot; expected that the promises, will become a "dryV area just-yeti/:V/,...•.../:-;,../ -/'/;;!; ;.'■■/.;/;.. ,";/,■•

|,;.Somo' members will have'; much '■.':■ to -say; about ..the. Second Ballot Act, and. a strong feeling ,will..'h©.;,.manifested .'in;'favour, or'its repeaL^'Tho.;first>,trial of scheme 'last :foUbwed:'.by-.'confideni; prophecies .in; some .quarters: that the Actwould : .not. ; ;commg';s^ion.' ; '>;j>li.;/■ ■-.:'- ■: be ;;tochoose;a Speakexfbr tho new/Parliament.: It is taken granted,thattne Hon. AV;P». '/Guinness / I^'be : re-elected to the position; 'but,.;'there v is '■ more uncertainty about a/successor tothe Honi.E.'M'Kenzie,' /as;;Chairman;'of'Committees.!-/Mr. ~Wilford _seems. to be, .the'..favourite,' .but. Mr; ■' Baume 'is also'mentioned.''!>*;.<;'. ;. ; /:'v; :\.*rf£ ' v -' ■;..It;is ; really personnel,- rather 'than-the. .programme,.:that,;causes phe;.fo'.anticipatesa -•specially inteTCsting'rses'sioiif;' There are njor'e. jthah. the .usual jiumber, of .new -members,' and some 6f. them ;may,/be,.'relied;,upon; to /make the proceedings more animated, or more 'dig.nified;:than .they otherwise" would be.' There are people:all over; the; Dominion who look !to/Mr; ; to'make matteTsVlrvely. The /Proverbial ''Unexpected." , ;, /fi.Tho! carpenters and/labourers:.who tare at ivork..,pn : :the. direction' Of....tho''District';Engineer '(Mr. J.; D.; /Louch), : aro ./.providing/{our legislators '/with OTch:spaca'and/comfort;'that.they' will; not • be'/ able 'to - plead /want -:. of accommodation as- an;'excuse for shortening the session; It;:.will, /probably>'b^ii,. about J the' .-.'.usual/, date, '.but • /whether■ 'it 'will: dose as'" early! aS:-''the .;'. farming 'members - : ;.would ; like, rush"/ .will '/be ~;.■ in-. any.. ■. degree. avoided,: j are matters: of ..niore/'uncertainty. One.prophecy,' however, can,be inade with the utmost confidence—a ..great -many; things' that ; nobody expects; .will ;■ happen 'during the session;'- of :/■■;;, v ;■ ;,^±/.'W