POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1558, 30 September 1912, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

SESSION PROSPECTS. THE GOVERNMENT.PROGRAMME. The Primo Minister stated on Saturday that lie saw no reason why the session should not end by October 2C. "The Government," he went, on to remark, "has a clearly-defined programme, and provided there is no obstruction, four weeks should bo sulliek-iit lo complete the work ahead at us. Members know how much is to be done, and it rests with them to determine whether the session is to bo prolonged beyond the end of October." Following the usual custom, the Government will probably ask the House of Representatives to sit on tho last two M outlays and on the last Saturday of tho session, ami if this is done, there' will be nineteen sitting days to transact tho remaining business. There are at present twenty-two Public Bills on. the Order Paper, of which sixteen have only been read a first time. Several other measures are to be introduced. "We propose to put through all the important Bills already announced," said Mr. Masscy. "A Defence Bill will be introduced, and Parliament will be asked to place it upon tho Statute Book. The Land Bill, with tho amendments, Tv-ill probably be circulated to-morrow, the Valuation Bill, an important B : ll, though not a policy measure, dealing with Native matters, and a Land Agents Registration Bill on tho line* of that introduced by Mr. \Vitty ore all to be dealt with this session. Thero will be a debate on the principles of the proposed reform of the Legislative Council, and tho House will bo asked to pass the Bill reducing the term of hp; pointnient.of Legislative Councillors to three years. Other legislative proposals to be carried through deal with military and widows' pensions, the flaw in the la\v whicli permits tho employment of unregistered barmaids in private bars, and the matter of water pollution. Legislative authority .will also be sought this session for the proposed system of loans' to local bodies, under which the State will pay the slinking fund. Thero will be a big washing-up Bill and a number of minor legislative proposals arc also- to be dealt with. Still another important rneasufe will be the Loan Bill, -which will provide for the. borrowing of .£1,750,000 for Public Works. Tho sum of .£IOO,OOO is to be borrowed for State Coal Mines, and .£25,000 for Hauraki Plains drainage." PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT, The Public Works Statement will probably be delivered towards the end of next• week. I PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUA^ I TION. Legislation will probably be introduced this session to give effect to the actuarial recommendation that the annual subsidy paid by the State into the Public Service Superannuation. Fund should be increased for three years from .623,000 to J245.C00. INVALIDS' PENSIONS. One of the measures which will be gone on with this year is the Invalids Pensions Bill, which is to confer pensions on unfortunates permanently incapacitated for work, either by accident or by reason of being an invalid. WIDOWS' PENSIONS. It is proposed to introduce this session a ißill extending tho benefits of the Widows. Pensions Act to women whose husbands are inmates of mental hospitals. STATE COAL MINES. Provision is being mado by the Government to raise this year -£100,000 for State Coal Mines. This action is taken in pursuance of a rccommendat'on by the Under-Secretary for Mines, who reported as follows m August 1. 191'.:-— The time has now arrived when further capital should be authorised, and it is accordingly proposed to insert a clause in this year's Coal Mines' Amendment Bill to sanction the raising of another £100,000, partly for the purpose of paying the balance ■ of'the cost of the dcvelnnment works at the new mii-», and partly for repaying to '• the account the amount, which appears in the balance-sheet as sinking and reserve funds and profit, but which has actually bfen expended in development works.at the new mine. SMALL FARM SETTLEMENT. An important feature in the land policy r>f the present Government is the proposal to provide small farms on the freehold tenure, and on the deferred payment system. Some details of the pronosal have, yet to ho determined, but it will take definite shape very shortly, and any legis ~ lntion necessary will be included in the Land Bill of this session. It is proposed to start this class of settlement on the exhausted gum lands of North Auckland, which are considered peculiarly suited for fruit-farming,' but ultimately the scheme will extend to the whole Dominion. The Government has already received applications from a number of wouldbo selectors in '.he Auckland district. Departmental renorts ore being obtained at present regarding tho possibility of utilising for_ small-farm 1 settlement lauds in mining districts which are not required for mining, and could be nut to agricultural uses. At Wairen?a, in the Wn'kato district, 70 miles south of Auckland city, the Government broke in a number of fruit farms, and carried on their cultivation until the trees had reached producing age, before the selections wore entrusted to settlors. It. is still an open question whether any similar nolicy will bo adopted in extending small-farm settlement. An allied question is that of providing workers' homes in country districts. This also will bo considered when the Land Bill is before the House, and, if necessary, a clause will he inserted confervin-; powers on county councils lo provide workers' homes.