PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 171, 9 April 1918, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

V: ■ . TO-DAY'S OPENING THE SPEECH AND THE REPLY REINFORCEMENT QUESTION Parliament will ■ open this afternoon. There will he a Speech read hy the Gov-ernor-General, but this year the Speech will be much shorter than usual The mover of the Address-in-Reply will be Mr. J. P. Luke, member for Wellington North. There was a suggestion that Mr. Luke might say simply "I move..accordingly," but it is understood, that ho, proposes to adhere toy precedent and to make a Epecch. • It is not certain yet who is to second the motion, but there is a possibility that Mr. TJru (Southern Maori) mijy be the member selected for the task. After the usual formal business the House will'be asked to puss tho customary resolutions regarding tho services given to the country by members who havo died since Parliament adjourned. The members who will be mentioned will be Mr. C. Parata, Sir Charles Bowen, Sir Henry Miller, the Hon.JW. Morgan, tho Hon. A. T. Maginnityj' all sitting members, and Dr. H. D. Bedford,-an ox-membor of the House. . . Mr. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton), whose attendance at this session has been considered doubtful in recent weeks, will now be present. Mr. Webb will . not. Report is that if a motion to give Mr. Webb, leave of absence is moved it will not be carried. As to the reinforcement question, the most important question to be submitted to Parliament at this session, no nnnouncement will ho made until the House has met. Tho announcement expected is that a new force will be organised out of the considerable reinforcements accumulated in England and in France, and that the dispatch of drafts from New Zealand will be accelerated.