POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1890, 27 October 1913, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

HARD WORK STILL AHEAD,

BILLS IN COMMITTEE,

Tho Primo Minister, in response to an -iuquiry, Baid that the proßpects of/ closing down the session before the end of November.. did nof? now look at all promising. ' Progress has been very slow for tho past few weeks, and there are big Bills ahead.» Not a few members are lowing signs of wear," and, to make matters worse for them, tliey have some rory heavy-committco work still to do. The.Labour Bills Committee has to handle the Arbitration Bill; and no doubt thero mil bo much evidenco offering. ■It is hoped, however, that tho volume of evidence will not be bo groat as was tendered when the Shops and Offices Bill was before tho committee. This latter Bill proved to bo a very big task, hut'the committee wero hampered by being able to sit only on two days a week. Tho Workers' Compensation Bill is also before the LabouV Bills Committee. Other Bills before committees are tho Native Land Bill (Native Affairs), Bank of New Zealand Bill (Public Accounts), Police Offences Bill and • Counties Amendment Bill (Statutes Revision). "THE FLYING SQUADRON." One offeot of tho slips on tho Main Trunk line will be that The Flying Squadron," as the small party of AntiEeformers vho havo been addressing meetings in various' parts of this island, havo been called, may, perhaps,, not to able to 6peak at the meeting arranged to take place at Te Kuiti. to-night. A trio of "Liberals," Messrs. Mac Donald, ''Atmore. and Forbes; left last night by the Main Trunk train, which was supposed to havo a -Chance of getting through, but the chance _ scarcely amounted at the time of leaving to. a certainty. A FALSE ALARM. The Leader of tho Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward) hanpens to represent tho constituency which includes Stewart Island. _ one of the most. beautiful of tho holidav resorts in the southern part of Now Zealand. On Saturday mornaiijj oarljy when tho Imprest Bill was going through, Sir Joseph Ward rose, land in somewhat indignant tones be"an to .protest , against the proposal, which, he said, was monstrous, to make the island a sanctuary for Native fauna. He was apparently quite ready to rate the Government severely for daring to make such a suggestion when the Hon. 8. H. Rhodes, the Minister who dcjils with acclimatisation and' kindred matters, said that Mr. Ell had been moving to havd Stewart Island mado a. sanctuary. Ho lot, it' be understood, also, that the Government were not at all ilikely to adopt the. proposal. Sir Joseph Ward resumed his seat apparently satisfied. He did not turn any < f ' flu's wrath upon the member for Christchurch South. There was / some laugher at tho expense of the. member for [iwarua over the incident.