THE COMING SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1781, 20 June 1913, Page 6

THE COMING SESSION.

BUSY TIME AHEAD. LEGISLATION IN PROSPECT. ' "A long and arduous session, but not necessarily a stormy one," is the prediction of some veteran politicians who have been spoken to during the last few weeks regarding tho session of Parliament which i 3 to open on June 20.' There are others who prophesy that the session will be stormy as well as long, but all are agreed that it will bo long. This appears to be mado quite certain by what ia.Known of the Government's legislative programme for the sessinn, quite apart from any surprises that may bo contained in the Speech from tho Throne, or anything that tho Opposition may do to lengthen out the proceedings. The Speech on this occasion will be delivered one day later than, usual. Owing to tho recent death of Sir Arthur Guinness, the House of Representatives will ns'semblo without a Speaker. Parliament will .bo opened on Juno 2G by commission, and. tho House will proceed to elect a Speaker. As has. been indicated in The Dojhnion, the only likely candidates for the Speakership are Mr. Millar and Mr. Lang. The latter, ■who is Chairman of Committees and Deputy-Speaker, would, under ordinary circumstances, be tho Government nominee, but it is thought that he may resign bis claims in favour of tho member l'or Dimedin West. The prospects and intentions of the Opposition are still more or less vague. Members of the party encountered during the recess have agreed in stating that a ■united Opposition will face tho' Government when Parliament reassembles, but they have been chary of details as to how 'the'transformation is to be otfectcd. The "Committee of Safety," which was _ appointed last session to guide the destinies' of the parly, seems to have dropped out of notice, and it is a fairly general ex- , pectation that Sir Joseph Ward will be "invited to take up the still vacant position of Leader of tho Opposition. . It ap- ' .pears, however, that he is in no hurry to return to the' leadership of his party, ' since he is not due to arrive in New Zealand from London until about the end of 'July. Prominent members of the. pirty \liave stated quite definitely during the 'recess that the position in «Sf ar d to the leadership is an open one. When Parliament adjourned, the Opposition had failed to arrivo at a conclusion oil the subject, but it as expected that a caucus will be convened to disouss it soon after mem'ibars reassemble.

Highly Important Measures. 'A number of highly important Bills are in prospect, feides 1 the usual array of' minor measiures. An important policy Bill will embody _ such features of the Government land policy as : were not covered in tho Land Act of last ! f year. The latter measure gave tenants of Crown lands tho Tight to convert their leases into freehold tenure. .This year's Bill will propose to confer o similar right on lease-in-parpetuity tonants of settlement lands. The Bill is expected to by a large and comprehensive measure, dealing with, maiiy aspects of land administration 'and settlement. A Bill which is likely to provoke a good deal of discussion is tho promised consolidation and amendment of 'the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The Prime Minister has an'nounced that the Government will stand •by the principle of the Arbitration Act, but for tho rest has observed strict reti'•"oence regarding the proposals to be advanced in his Labour Bill. It is thought !iu some quarters that the Bill will embody provisions similar in nature to those 'which obtain in Canada, making, a strike 'illegal, even where an unregistered union 'is concerned, until the parties to an industrial dispute have conferred with a 'view to-an-iving at a settlement if possible. This, however, is mere speculation. There is no official information on the subject. Revision of the Customs Tariff is another legislative proposal which will give members a great deal of work. Thero has been soma talk of introducing.only., a ' small Tariff Bill this year, -but it is proverbial that When once tho subject of Customs duties is raised, almost limitless possibilities for discussion aro opened up. Another promised measure is a consolidating amendment of the Shops and Offices Act. This will bring before tho Houss again th« six-day week proposal, which gave rise to some very heated dis-cussion-towards tho end . of last, session. An Immigration Bill is to bo introduced. .This, however, does hot necessarily imply, as some ' Opposition critics have ■averred, that the Government intends to flood the labour market of the Dominion. At present immigration is controlled in a more or less arbitrary way, the only statutory provisions on the subject j being contained in Acts which deal with itheexclusion of Asiatics and other aliens. The proposed, Immigration Act will deal with the whole subject in a comprehensive way.' A Consolidating Pensions Bill has. also been announced, to deal with old age, widows', and military pensions. Possibly it may give effect to the policy proposal of the Government to give tho old age pension to women at sixty years of age.' The Hon. W. H. Herries has announced that tho Government will introduce this session • important, legislation dealing with the administration of Native lands. One proposal is to amalgamate the Native Land Boards and Courts tinder ouo set of officers, with a view to Tcducing litigation and trouble between tho Nativo and the pakeha.

Banking Legislation. Banking legislation will also be brought down this year. Bank of New Zealand stock to the amount of a million sterling, which is guaranteed by the Government, matures in July, 1914,- and if the guarantee is to be renewed, legislation -will be required- during the coming session. It is expected that the bank officials .will take steps at the same time to raise additional capital, and this also .'.will requiro legislative authority. What ' the proposals are with respect to this additional capital has not yet been mado '■known. A private Bill will be introduced to authorise the issue of notes bv , the Commercial Bank of Australia, which ;-has opened branches in New Zealand i*during the last nine months. Other measures in prospect aro a .-Police Force. Bill, Workers' Compensation Amendment-Bill, and Shipping and Seamen, Harbours, and Counties Amendment Bills.

Upper House Reform. One of tho most important measures to "be introduced during tho coming session will be tho Legislative Council Reform Bill. The Council last year threw out a Bill substituting election of tho Upper House on the proportional representation system (each island forming an electorate) for tho present nominative system. 'The second reading was carried by 24 votes to 8, but the motion to commit tho Bill was negatived by 20 votes to 1!), tho 'following amendment being carried:— "That the Council is of opinion that, having affirmed that the constitution of the Council should bo altered from nomination to election, it is inadvisable to proceed further with tho Bill until next session, in order that tho electors of the Dominion may bo given nn opportunity of considering the proposals for giving effect to tho Bill." Subsequently tho Council rejected, in its turn, a Bill reducing th® term of appointment of its members from seven years to three. The Primo Minister has announced that tho Reform Bill will bo reintroduced this year, and it is assumed that the matter will be carried to a conclusion, tho Bill being amended only by the substitution of smaller electorates for '.he Island electorates proposed in the Bill ot last year, ft is expected that a few appointments to the Council will bo announced. shortly, and j£ tho Upper House should again reject the Bill reforming its constitution, tho Government holds a trump card, in the right to appoint a sufficient number of new Councillors to ensure tie adoption of its policy.