AN EARLY SESSION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2673, 20 January 1916, Page 5

AN EARLY SESSION

ASTATEMENT THAT WA& .EXAGGERATED.

1 M0r . 6 ?gn'fipaJice than the Prime Min-' lfiter intended has been attached to a .remark made by him in Ohnstchurcli. Ihe of the utterance forwarded by the i ress Association was "that Parliament might sit sooner than' many thought, but he could say no more." IJiw was the subject of debate and speculation yesterday among people interested in political affairs, who accepted it as a broad hint that an early session is a certainty. It is easy to* suggest reasons for an early cession. If the supply of-recruits fails Parliament will: have to be summoned at once to give the Government power to exercise compulsion! If Germany should unexpectedly sue for peace, Parliament would havo to be called together before cur representatives went Home. • So gossips have been suggesting an early session of a month or two, after which Mr. Massoy and Sir Joseph Ward would 'be free to go Home. But Mr. Massey had none of these things in mind wihen he made a remark on the subject to a Christchurch deputation. The Industrial Association approached Mr.-Massey with a request that ho should set np a Parliamentary Committee to consider proposals for the extension of trade. Mr. Massey .promised that he would ask Parliament to set up the committee. Then some member of the deputation asked when Parliament, would meet, and Mr. Massey replied that the time for the meeting of Parliament was late in June. A member of the deputation said that tins was a long time to wait, and in reply Mr. Massey made some such remark as this: "Well, this is war time, and anything is possible in war time. It is possible that Parliament may be called together before the usual date." The foregoing is Mr. Massey's own account, given to a reporter yesterday, of what actually occurred. The removal of the statement from its contest is liable to give a wrong impression.