SESSION'S WORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 903, 24 August 1910, Page 5

SESSION'S WORK.

THE PREMIER MAKES A STATEMENT. LAND LEGISLATION. POWERS OF LOCAL' BODIES TO M INCREASED. Speaking in the House yesterday, th« Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), replying to a suggestion by Mr. Massey that he ought to' give an outline of the - business which he proposed to ask Parliament to go on with this 'session, said that ha expected that. Parliament would sit till the middle or end, of November.. His experience was that it was very seldom Parliament got into proper working order until the middle of the session. He was not going to drive the House, and ha wanted it to keep early hours. He sawno reason why it should not rise before midnight right on till the end of tho session. As to tho measures which it. was intended to bring down, Sir Joseph went on to say that he proposed to ask Parliament to go on with .tho whole 1 of tho Bills enumerated in tho Governor's Speech. That was his answer to the general request to him for information. What was necessary was that the House should get into working order, which it had not done •yet. • '

Mr.'Massey: Give it a lead. "Sir Joseph stated that if business went on with ordinary expedition,, then he had very little doubt -but that the whole of the policy proposals would be put through. As regards the Land Bill, it would bo introduced next week. He hoped Mr. Massey would support it. Mr. Massey-: If it is a freehold Bill it will get my support.. Sir .Joseph: You cannot see anything but freehold.

The Prime Minister, resuming, said that the\Bill .would contain proposals which he was confident the country would support. It would show that the. Government was pretty progressiye in tho matter. • The proposal was to carry the Opposition a little further, than they contemplated. (Oh's!) In the past -th« Opposition had always made everything connected with land a party question. The Bill would be brought down all right} and it would compel Opposition members to put on their considering caps. Mr. Massey :~They will do their duty. Sir Joseph: So will we. Mr.. Massey: That is than yon have done- this session. ,

Dealing with the Local Government Bill, Sir Joseph said that he hoped to introduce it by the end of nest week, or before the beginning of the following week. This Bill was very important, and i't dealt with a very difficult matter. Mr. Luke: Will it nieet the proposals in Mr. Sidey's Public Health Bill? Sir Joseph said the Local Government Bill- would' .enormously increase the powers of local bodies. The problem of local government was an ■ exceedingly difficult one, and the Government' made no excuse for delaying its introduction and giving serious consideration to the complexity l of the question. A Bill of such a nature was. calculated to tax the intelligence of any man, "and required a great deal of thought before it could even be placed before the House. The question had exercjsed the minds of different Governments: for a considerable time past. The greatest, difficulty was due to the fact that the country had been under, the existing system for mauy years past, and it was more difficult to alter an old system than to introduce an absolutely new one. The 'Bill would come down,, and it would be for the House to say whether it would go through this session. His own opinion was that it/would not. It was so far-reaching that the people should have an opportunity of considering it. Ho was not, at all events, . suggesting that it should be forced through, even though they had been told that a Local Government measure had been before the country for, so many years'. Tho'-interests of the local i bodies . throughout the country required that the measure should bo considered, and their representations ou it noted.'

Speaking of other Bills, Sir Joseph Ward said the second reading debate oil the Public Debt Extinction Bill should finish that night. He hoped to introduce' the Post-Audit Bill next day. Amongst other measures which'should be passed that session were the Maternity Assistance,' National Annuities, Defence Bill, Crown Suits, and Secret Commissions. There was' no reason why the bulk of the Government's programme should not reach the Statute-book this.session.