WORK OF THE SESSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 49, 22 November 1918, Page 6

WORK OF THE SESSION

COURSE OF BUSINESS DOUBTFUL

MANY MATTERS OF URGENCY

The course of business in the House of Representatives alter Parliament resumes on Tuesday next is still doubtful. The fact that the House is to meet in- the morning is an indication that the Government wishes to make rapid progress with the work of the session. But it is practically certain now that the work cannot be completed by tho date on which New Zealand's delegates to the Peace Conference must leav>e the Dominion if tliey are to reach in time.

The work of the session includes the Licensing Bill, the Budget, tho Estimates, a Loan Bill, an Appropriation Bill, a War Legislation Bill, and several other Bills that are regarded as being to some extent urgent. Then the House is expecting to give some time to the problems of demobilisation and repatriation, it has been promised a chance to discuss viie report of the Defence Expenditure Commission, and it may want to say something about tho work that the delegates to tlio Peace Conference are going to undertake. This is a programme of Parliamentary work that could not possibly be completed in a fortnight, and few of tho items can bo postponed or curtailed.

Tho Licensing Bill, which has not yet received tho finishing touches from Cabinet, is a fairly lengthy measure. Members are not at all disposed now to accord it the urgency that might havo been allowed it had the armistice not been signed in Europe. - Even if the Government should decide to submit the proposals of lh&> Bill to a joint cajieus. agreement would be extremely improbable, since various groups of members hold widely sundered opinions on the liquor question. The expectation in tlio lobbies is that the Licensing Bill cahnot bo put through in a hurry. It appears that the final decision as to the peace delegation will await the meeting of Liberal members, to be held next week. The Reform caucus lias resolved that the time has come for the moderato and responsible elements in Parliament to combine in support of sound and patriotic policy. If the Liberal caucus should take a similar view of the situation, a ioint caucus might follow, and the way be elenred for the departure of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward on -their highly important mission. Members generally feel that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, who are the heads of the National Government, and who 'have attended tho Imperial War Conferences, are far better qualified than anybody else could bo to sit at the Peace Conference. But it might not be necessary for them both to go. The matter is likely to he decided next week.