THE OPENING OF THE SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1190, 27 July 1911, Page 4

THE OPENING OF THE SESSION.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

PROBABLE ORDER Or BUSINESS

Parliament will be opened at 2.30 this afternoon by his Excellency the Governor with all the usual formalities. His Excellency, who will be accompanied by Lady Islington, will read the Speech from tlio T.hrone in the Legislative Council Chamber, where the members of both Houses will be in attendance for the purpose. The Houses will then tit .separately, and, after Ihn usual opportunity for presentation of papers and notices of motion, each lloiise will pass a resolution of condolence with the relatives of the Hon. \V. C. Smith, M.L.C., who died during tho reress, and will then adjourn, The House will take the Imprest Supply Bill to-morrow, and will probably commence the Address-in-Reply debato on Tuesday. , .

The Council, after the formal business of this afternoon, will probably adjourn until the Imprest Supply Bill comes up from the House. The Council has to begin (he session, not only without ita Ministerial leader, whoso place is to bo taken temporarily by the Hon. J. M'Gow.-,n, but also without its Speaker. In the absence of Sir Charles Bowen, who is on his way back from London, the Hon. W. C. i'\ Oarnciuss, Chairman of Committees, will act as Speaker of tlio Council. The Address-in-Reply in tlvo Council will be moved by the Hon. J. E. Sinclair, of Dunedin. and seconded by a. North Island member.

MENTAL DEFECTIVES. The Lunatics Act of ISSS has been carried on for nearly thirty years without material improvement, for the amendments made at various limes did not modernise His principles embodied in the Statute. The Hon. U. Fowlds has prepared a Bill to repeal the existing legislation and substitute a measure reflecting, it is staled, the great advance in publio opinion on the treatment of mental defectives and embodying many of the suggestions by Royal Commissions in Groat Britain. 'The provisions of the Bill will cover all defectives that come under the control of the Mental Hospitals Department determining a system of classification similar but superior to the methods which have been followed. IMPROVING THE TOWNS. The principles of the British legislation, adapted to suit the conditions of local government in' New Zealand, will form tho framework of the Town Planning Bill to bo submitted by tho Minister for Health. It proposes to empower local authorities to carry out town planning schemes, and in that respect their powers will be considerably extended. The purpose of the legislation, now proposed is to prevent the development of slums and insanitary conditions in the dwelling-places of the people. Power to remove insanitary buildings is already conferred by the Municipal Corporations Act. and the Public Health Act. The Minister stated yesterday that it might Ire found necessary to increase that power.