POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1546, 16 September 1912, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. The' Government has decided as to what will be done in Hie way of providing Parliamentary Buildings and an announcement on the subject'will be made to the House early this week. THE SESSION. ;./ The development of the Government programme for the present session lias brought a groat deal of work into view, and some members have been led to predict that - sis' a result the prorogation of I'nrlinment- would probably l:e delayed until tlio early nart. of November. Wellinfornied Government members consider, however, that the session will probably end about the middle of October. They point , out that, although there is a lot of work" to be done a good rate of progress has been maintained and seems likely to continue.-" •

BILLS IN PREPARATION. The Bill to amend the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.is practically ready for presentation'to the House. The- Prime Minister informed a reporter last evening- that the Law.Drafting Office had experienced considerable , diffi-culty-in getting in-the amendment with Ih« provisions of the. principal Act, and that it would be necessary next session to consolidate the original Act and its amendments. ' ' ■ '

The Land Bill, which is to give effect to some aspects. of the Government land policy, is in print, but has not yet. under-gone-fiiml revision. ]t will be laid before the House of Kopre'sentatives at the cud of this week or. eariy next week.'

LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S : ESTIMATES, ■ An old Parliamentarian remarked on Saturday that the passage of. the labour Department Estimates in the .early luurs of Saturday.morning,- without a word,of discussion, might be looked -upoii as a triumph for the new Minister of Labour (the Hori..:W. F. Mass-?y).. Such 1 a thing, the member, added, had never happened before in his experience, and sometimes .the .%tim«tes of the labour Department huu proved to bo a very contentious class. • ' ■ •'DOMINION. DEFENCE. . , -• There is no doubt, according to ' a northern member who. .was spokeli to yesterday, that the discussion on the 'Defenca Estimates, which took place in'the House of Representatives on Friday will do a great deal'to strengthen, the 'defence scheme. In support of this opinion, ho pointed out that there hndbesnu striking nbsenco of general hostility to, or criticism,of tho scheme. Those members.who contributed most freely to the discussion that took place confined themselves to.details, some of which, were not of the first importance. Enthusiasm .for-,the , defence scheme was not conspicuously displayed, but this was easily accounted- , for. • Opposition'members were chiefly concerned ivjth the duties of- criticism.' mid Government mejnbers'ilid not want' to '.hinder 'the passage, of the ■Estimates .by talking. - 4 ...... estimates..; ■ W^i ■.The Governnient'-iiltVnasi't'd put. through' the .remaining*, classes'of the- tonsoli'dated Estimates' at : a single sittiiig.-'if l "possible An announcement td tliis e»'ect;was. made ill the 'early"hours of 'Saturday • morning by'"the Hon. W. H; Hemes, then .tem-porarily-'-in ■ charge: of the' House. The classes that remain are: Lands arid Surrey; Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce; and Education. there nre^the accounts' of the State.Forest','State Coal-iiiinos, '.Scenery preservation. Landfo,r, Settlement,'- Public' Trustee)' "Govern- - melit -Insurance (Life , , Accident, and Tire), State. Guaranteed Advances, and Native Land Settlement,' '. .. . ' ' STRENGTH OF. THE FORCES. "The enrolled strength of the Territorial Force is 25,000, and it is proposed to in.crease: ?it to 20.000,''. said the Hon. .T. Allen.'Jlinister'for Defence, discussing the Defence' .Estimates en Saturday, moriiiug. In .order-to-carry-out-the- scheme that men-.should .k,eep' up their nntional train-, ing," who were , not required for the Territorial' Force, tho men -not needed to keep the force up to the establishment would be drafted to-rifle clubs. .

AMMUNITION; RESERVES. The ■ Minister-for- Defence stated on Saturday morning, in the Houso of Representatives, that the supply of small arm ammunition for the Defence- forces was manufactured' in Kew Zealand by the Colonial Ammunition Company, but certain ingredients, which could not possibly he manufactured in' New Zealand, were, imported. The reserve of small arm ani-munitkn-would bt> maintained, and this had practically been made up to required amount. Biggun ammunition had to be imported, because there was no means of manufacturing it in' ; Xew Zealand. Cordite was also imported, but Australia was .going to establish- wcordite factory, and the Government was in communication with the Commonwealth Governnieiit with a- view to ascertaining whether supplies could be obtained from ' '.".