POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2583, 4 October 1915, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

WORK STILL TO BE DONE END OF THE SESSION ,

Members- were saying -onv.Thursday. last that the session would end on .Wed-nesday-of this week, but tho prospect of suolf.au: early, release aro not now so tosj. I The House should get through '-all-its -business■■ very,■,easily tlus . week, 'liowe\er. Of the Dills >\hioli have yet f-to make their, appearance, tho vCommer- ' Bill;:..aii:.c>"t<!ii|,Sloll of tho Presellt Act which- aims at ' • ' of trusts .and; combines, likely to pio\e the most contentious • EHe 1 of the: amendment',.is to : vive : 'tho'Govemmcnt power to cope witli Ith'o problem of the rising .cost of living. The ,Washing-Up.-Bill mil PiobabW Intake" its ■ appearance to-day. J-lio (Prime Minister has alieady announced ■■ that the BUL is a very big ..-one this I-year. A Bill which has in it possibikftics of trouble , is Ae, Industrial .and 'Conciliation Amendment "Bill, which ' (provides for giving a right of appeal to Isome tribunal, probablyitho-Arbitration : Court, to workers on the waterfront at certain, ports,, especially- at; Auckland, who' consider that they have,been vie- • timised sinco the strike. \ Tho clause, is a simplo enough one, which tho House would '- accept • readily 'enough, but the - 'introduction: of . a Bill to .uuend the. iiAibitration Act opens 115 the whole, Act ■for reviow and ' discussion, and gives any member so disposed a right to move ■ -amendments.. - The Bill may an hour or a* day. ■ Tho Legal Practitioners' ; Amendment Bill- is still hung up.: Hho -Legislative ■ Council " deleted;: the 'clause concerning King's Counsel, ' but t-lie House , seems likely to disagree 'with'the "other place. 1 '- A compro- ■ miso will probably be -effected beoawso 'it'is important'that the Bill should _go through. The report ;of the Education boundaries Commission' has yet : to;bo nnd discussed. _ The only. ■■ other now business in sight is.the' passing! of " tho Supplementary :: Estimates nnd tho Appropriation Bill. The only measure now on t'ho ordei-paper. that •fooks seriously contentious is the: Alien Enemy Tcachers' Bill, but there is a (.possibility .sow of the Bill being disposed ;of. 'without much trouble. •

FOR REFRACTORY CHILDREN. The Industrial'' Schools, Amendment , , Bill, which will' be introduced next ' weeK, is a step'in the direction ofclassification which the Minister of_ Education '(the Hon: J. A. Hanan) is; desirous of bringing about with: institutions under his charge. y At some of these institutions; owing- to the: refractor}' conduct of a number of tho inmates, it is impossible to enforce proper discipline, and power is heing; sought to transfer such inmates to an institution ; J.which a Magistrate may consider more: ■: ■ suitable \ under, the. circumstances. ■ Counsel will be appointed'to* plead on ibehalf of any inmate' whose transfer is 'contemplated; and provision , mil -:-bo )nade for : appeal agaihstttransference, Md ■ for the ;return '-of "the.'.person..con.-. : ' • tcrned to the institution in'; eho was originally should such return'bo • deemed' advisable. :'V Every consideration will be given to those being dealt with, but the purpose of the Bill is to have a deterrent affect on refractory.inmates of institutions, and the' transference will havo the effect of. a sen- - ■■■■■ tenco for reformative treatment.'..' •■' .

'.. • -THEEDUC AT )0 N, ACT; . j 'Among, fhe Bills to .be' brought l , down;' ■ 'during "the week;will, bo one to' make a ' slight • necessary machinery amendment ; in the Education Act.' J: iTho Minister of Education stated yesterday, that thero are - improvements in .'connection with the Education. Department, that lie would like to make, i attecting salaries/ among other things, but he will not bo able to touch them this session." : SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. . Tho Defence Amendment Bill, which will bo introduced during the week, will make provision for. pensions for soldiers injured while in camp in New Zealand, and for the dependents of any soldiers who may die oi 1 wlio have died in camp in the Dominion. . . 1 THE NEW TAXES. Tho Finance Bill received tho Governor's assent on Saturday, and the new war tax.es to. be .impqsed under it are therefore duo and payable from that day. Certain of the taxes, notably those requiring .an :extra'. stamp;l duty of.one penny to be paid on/cheques and Receipts, do not come into opera- ■ tion until November!. . ; PUBLIC WORKS. The discussion, on the Publio Works Estimates in'the'House early oirS.at- ' urday morning was the d'ullest.. and most unintelligent imaginable. It'. was carried on by a mere fiandful of mem- , ' bers, and* scarcely ever was there » reference made to public works policy as expressed in the' Statement/ .'For . the most part the members, confined ' themselves to dreary talk or querulous lament about little tilings, either ■ of • purely: local interest- or of; no interest' •at all. :,When..tlio' Conunittee ■ stage was ' reached' tlie discussion was even more limited and dreary. .. In Committee a few' talkative members caused 1 half'an' ( (hour' of delay, but as. the Minister did 1 not- heed their complaintsand gueriesj '"they gave up tho futile' talk, and tho '■Estimates went through, shortly; before 2.30 a.m. Uv^V'Y