THE SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 902, 23 August 1910, Page 6

THE SESSION.

GALLERY NOTES: LOBBY GOSSIP. ESTIMATES ON FRIDAY. THE PRISON REFORM SCHEME. * In all probability the debate on the second reading of the Public Debt Extinction Bill will be continued in the House this evening. It is not anticipated that the Estimates. will bo brought forward until Friday evening.

CLOSER SETTLEMENT. So far 197 estates, of an aggregate area of 1,238,090 acres, have been acquired by the Government for closer settlement purposes. Following nre the details:— Number. Area. Cost. Acres. £ Auckland ... 27 277,111 '149,153 Hawkc's Bay 2G 193,415 1,203,031 Taranaki ... J 4,(i09 .I?'?!!? 'Wellington ... 2G G0,824 4<3,0.)9 Marlborough 9 114,979 351,-163 Nelson 2 24,347 , 29,975 W&stland ... 2 5,125 ' Canterbury ... G4 297,082 I,GLG,O3r Otago 30 203,GSG 9G7.408 Southland ... 7 50,918 213,370 Totals ... 197 1,235,096 5,407,792 Last year 14 properties containing •48,287 acres were acquired at a cost of .£260,793. ,

WORK. FOR THE COUNCIL. The Legislative Council will not sit today, but is to meet to-morrow afternoon when the orders of the day arc the' second reading of the Companies Amendment Act and the Phosphorus Matches Bill, and the adjourned debate on the Crimes Amendment Bill.

STRENUOUS LOBBYING. All day yesterday evidence was not wanting: that . strenuous lobbying was being undertaken in view ol to-day's election to fill tho vacant position of Chairman of in tho Housu. From what can be gnthered, more than one of the disappointed aspirants is nowworking hard to secure tho return of Mr. Coivin, the Government numinee. Other Government members, however, unreservedly declare that they leel that the member for Duller is by no meano the best-qualified • member on the Ministerial side for the position. If' Sir William Steward still adheres to his determination to be nominated, which it is understood he does, the lion. T. Duncan will proposo him.. The Opposition candidate (Mr. Fraser) is certain to be nominated for the position. Apparently with a view to consolidating the Ministerial ranks, on the subject, a Government caucus is to be held this morning.

REFORM OF THE CRIMINAL, v Ono of the chief topics of discussion in the lobbies'is the Bill to amend the Climes Act, which has. been occupying the Legislative Cpuncil for some time: The humanitarian idea meets with'much commendation, but it appears unlikely that the Bill will pass in anything liko its present form. There are-two salient points around which discussion focuses: the teaching of trades to convicts, and the establishment of. a Prisons - Board and the functions to bo allocated to it. .Regarding'the former, the Labour party enunciates opposite opinions, one set contending that it is unjust to shackle free labour with the competition of prisontaught labour, aiid the other set. approving the idea, not so much on humanitarian grounds as on the assumption that prison-taught, labour is unlikely to bo anything more than a 'negligible quantity. In tho matter of appointing a board to determine whether a prisoner has sufficiently reformed, to warrant his liberation, many objections arc raised. ' In the first place it is contended that prominent officers of the Public Service are not- tho kind of persons to constitute a majority of such a; board, their restricted field of action as public servants unfitting them for. such a delicate task: It is further argued that no board is likely to 'be satisfactory, inasmuch as there is no , one capable of knowing tho inner, sentiments of the convict. In order to secure liberar tion; prisoners are likely to be on, their best behavioui during incarceration, and may be cast adrift absolutely unreformed to prfy upon society. . ' 7