POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 51, 25 November 1918, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES

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THE LICENSING BILL

Both Houses of Parliament will meet to-morrow, (.lie House oi' Representatives at 11 a.m. and the Legislative Council at 2.U0 p.m., alter a week's adjournment duo to the influenza epidemic. Some members who are still suffering from influenza, or who are unable to leave their homes owing to sickness in their families, will not be. present, but the Government does not propose to make any further adjournment. Ministers as well as members are anxious now to make progress with the work of the session. The Houee, by sitting in the mornings, may be able to avoid late sittings at night. Lute evening" sittings are not considered to be advisable' under present conditions. It is possible that in the interests of public health the publio and ladies' galleries will be closed thia week. ■ T.HE BUDGET. The Minister of Finance (Sir Joeeph Ward) will read liis Budget in lie iluuse of Representatives to-morrow evening. The statement of the Dominion's, fill, ances is being awaited by members with much interest', since the Minister of Finance- will be able at last to set a term to the war expenditure and to indicate the extent of the war indebtedness and Homo of the measures necessary to meet the hugely increased annual charges for interest and sinking f un d. The surplus is not expected to be as large as tho surplus- Sir Joseph Ward was able vo announce last year. No increases iu taxation are to be proposed this year, but provision will require to be made for some,further borrowings on the war account. A large sum of money will lie requited also for public- works, which are to be undertaken'during the period of repatriation and reconstruction. The accumulated, surpluses of the last three years place the Minister of Finance ia a strong position.

THE LICENSING BILL. The Licensing. Bill is to be placed before Cabinet again to-dny, and it may reach the House of Representatives tomorrow or on Wednesday. 'I lie terms of the Bill have not yet beon made' known in an official ivay. The impression iir the lobbies is that the Government is going k> propose a referendum on tlw Jines suggested by tho National Effi'ciency Board, the electors being asked to vote for or against early Prohibition, with compensation to the trade interests* But provision will be made for the revision of the licensing issues at the next general election in the .event of Prohibition with compensation being rejected. A three-issue ballot-paper may be suggested, the issues being Continuance, State Control, and Prohibition (without compensation), •' In this enso .provision would be made for getting a majority decision, Tho Bill is known to be lengthy and rather complex, and there seems to be no chance now nf its being hurried through as a war measure. Lobby comI ment suggests that strong opposition, will arise. REPATRIATION. An important statement covering the Government's repatriation scheme is to be laid before the House this week. Another statement to be presented by the Minister of Public Works will embody the reports of the Government engineers regarding the development of hydro-elec-tric power, and will indicate the Kue3 on which the Government proposes to move, ij'ydro-elcciric power works in the North Island are expected to absorb a part of the surplus labour during the demobilisation period. ' THE BY-ELECTIONS / — Two'by-elections will have to be held in the near future to till the vacancies j caused hy (lie deaths of -Mr. A. H. Hindj marsh (Wellington South) and \Mr. D. Uuiclc (Pulmerston). The names of possible- candidates nro being mentioned, but no call for nominations is likely t<? bn made until the influenza epidemic has subsided. The prohibition of publio meetings would make it impracticable to lipid a by-election under present conditions.