WORK FOR TO-DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1855, 15 September 1913, Page 4

WORK FOR TO-DAY.

ALL-NIGHT SITTING AGAIN. TIRED MEMBERS' PLICHT. To-day, at 2.30 p.m., tho Chairman will resume his soat, and the House will be at onco in Committee on tho Estimates, exactly as they were just prior, to midnight on Saturday. An all-night sitting is practically a certainty. Indeed, there may bo moro than one all-night sitting this week, for it is oxtromely probable that tho Government will demand that . tho Estimates be put through to make up for the wasted time. The work of trying to pusli tho Estimates through is a very severe test of tho loyalty and endurance of Government members, and no one without great physical strength and mental energy could go through tlio Prime Minister's experience of the last two days. Ho commenced work-with tho Land Committee on tho Land Bill at 10 a.m. on Friday, sitting witli tho committee until luncheon time. At 2.30 p.m. he went into the House, and from 2.30 p.m. on Friday until midnight on Saturday ho was not out of the Chamber a quurter of an hour at a time, except during the adjournments for meals. Other Government members felt tho strain also. They had to 'bo on band to protect tho party from possible defeat on a snap division. Tho wonst of their caso is that t'liey have had a great deal of eommittco work, and on the Government mombors always devolves tho duty of keeping a, quorum, a.3 well as a majority of Government members on committeos discussing party questions. A number of. them showed quite obvious signs of wear on Saturday. Tho Opposition members were not in much better fix, but tho work of tho session is infinitely easier for Oppositionists. Much of the account given above consists of objections -to the Government seeking to force tlio Estimates through. Tho need for a. littlo firmness on the part of tlio Leader of tho Houbd may, nowever, 'bo exemplified by a remark made by an Opposition member to a Dominion, representative on Friday night. Asked why tho Mines Estimates were being delayed, this member replied: "There's no lmrry. We're here till 2 o'clock any way, and it doesn't matter what wo talk about." _ A Government member remarked that if members wero to assume that, as has usually been the case, the Leader would bo so r indulgent as to consent always to adjourn at 2 a.m. or thereabouts, no reasonable tttogrcss would bo made with tho Estimates. Th<fro must, ho added, bo some middle course between rushing the Estimates through and allowing the timo of tho Houso to be frittered away, a.B it would be if members could essumo that tho Prime Minister would always agrco to adjourn, at a specific hour, without regard to the amount of work done.