POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 23 May 1916, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES

THE MOTION TO TAKE PRIVATE ' MEMBERS' DAYS. The debate on the Addresn-in-E-eply being now out of tho way. Parliament this week will enter upon the ordinary work of the session. Before this can be done, however, the motion of which the Prime Minister gave notice 011 Friday last, in regard'to the order of business on Wednesdays and Thursdays, lias to be disposed of. This'motion, which will be moved whet, forma', business has been disposed of this afternoon, provides that on and after to-morrow, Government business shall take place on Wednesdays and that Government business shall also take precedence after local Bills on Thursdays. Tho usual custom during the first six or oight weeks of the session is to allow Wednesday and Thursday to ba occupied with' private members' Bills, local Bills taking precedence over other private members' measures on Thursdays. The allocation of these two days to.the discussion of private members' business invariably results in great exnenditure of time for very little result. This year an unusually large number of private members' Bills have already been introduced and as it is obvious that the discussion of them, as tliey -ha-re no likelihood whatever of nassing, would merely entai! a profitless lengthening,, of the session, the proposal of Government has not come as a "surprise. The Prime Minister's motion no doubt will lead to some debate, but anticipating this ho had announced his decision to continue the debate until it is concluded, thus preventing it from being "talked out" at the 5,30 p.m. adjournment.

THE COMPULSION BILL. The Military Service. Bill probably will .be introduced in the House of Representatives to-day. It is not likely that the discussion on the measure -prill be taken for some little time, as it is desired to afford members ample opportunity of studying it-s_ contents. The debatn on the second readings of the War Tensions .Amendment Bill and the Discharged Soldiers' Land Settlement Bill are likely to be taken first. No date has jet been fixed for the delivery of the Financial Statement.