LOBBY GOSSIP

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2212, 27 July 1914, Page 6

LOBBY GOSSIP

COMING, EVENTS REVIEWED

BUDGET EARLY NEXT WEEK

The Financial Statement will probably be brought down early next week. The Hallways Statement is not likely to be presented until a little later, but it is sure to appear before the House in Committee deals with the Estimates. This latter Statement is being looked for with keener interest than usual this year for the reason that it will contain the first annual report by the General Manager (Mr. E. H. Hiley). 1 What purported to be a forecast of Mr. Hiley's report appeared in a Wellington journal last week, but so far as can bo discovered it was entirely misleading and incorrect. THE LICENSING BILL. The Licensing Bill will begin its passago through Committeo on Tuesday. It passed its second leading by two votes only, and as one of those votes was that of the Chairman of Committees, the Bill will go into Committee with a majority of only one vote in its favour. In view of this ■ and other facts there is an almost general opinion that the Bill will not pass into law this session". A number of amendments are sure to moved in Committee. Tho bare majority, amendment, will be moved and defeated almost as a matter of course. Another proposal almost sure to be made is that the local option majority should also be reduced to 55 per cent. This amendment is likely to bo" defeated. But some members who voted for the Bill are pledged to vote for the abolition of the local option issue, and as an amendment to give effect to this proposal would almost assuredly be defeated, it seems inevitable that these members will vote against the third reading of the Bill. Members on both sides of the liquor controversy are discussing the Bill very freely, but, as stated already, the general opinion is that in'its present form it cannot go through. END OF THE "DOLES'* SYSTEM. The Local Bodies' Qrants and Subsidies Bill, which will provide for a'new system of, giving assistance to local public works in liou of the present system of Parliamentary grants, will probably make its appearance during the coming week. The Bill will provide for the setting up of a.Public Works Board on the lilies of the Development Boards .in Great Britain. The new .system cannot be brought into operation this year, and therefore tho usual grants will appear on tho Estimates when tho Public Works Statement is- presented. A scheme has been' suggested in the House, and probatory elsewhere on previous occasions control of grants-should be handed over to a Parliamentary Committee. ' This system is unfavoured by the present Government, and the board to be set up will be strictly a non-political one. ;, A GOOD LAW. ''The Land Purchase Board has a ■great-vdeal of work on'hand," said the Prime Minister,' speaking of the subject of land jiu: chases with a reporter, "lliey are inspecting properties and conducting negotiations for purchase's in different parts of New Zealand. The Act of last session is working remarkably, well, however, and it frequently happens after negotiations are opened that tho Crown is relieved of the'necessity for going on with the purchase, by tlie owner electing to cut up his land and dispone of it without the % intervcn,tiin of the' Orcw.n." '.':': ' :'; s THE REFERENDUM BILL. ; "The Bill will be dealt with this session," said Mr. Massey in answer to" a query by a Dominion reporter as to whether the. hearing of evidence on petitions on.; the Bible-in-Schools quos-' tion was at all likely to so delay the appearance of the' Bill as to prevent Parliament .from coming to a decision upon it this session. There is a good deal of evidence'on tho petitions offering before tho Education Committee, and as that Committee has also an important. Education Bill to consider the time available for the other question is limited. ■ Some little alarm has been expressed by friends of the Bill as to the danger of too long delay, but the Prime Minister's assurance on the point was absolutely definite. ;.