POLITICAL NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 15, 13 October 1919, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES

THIS WEEK'S BUSINESS The House of Representatives _ completed the consideration of tlie Estimates nt Friday's sitting 1 , tKe last class being passed at 4 a.iri? Education and Railways occupied a considerable part of the time. Just before the House rose the Housing Bill was introduced by Gover-nor-General's Message. The second read- , ing of this Bill will be reached during this we'ik. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The Public Works Statement and Estimates probably- will come down this week. .They are almost ready for presentation to the House. • .

MANY .BILLS. The Estimates having been disposed'of, the Government will be able this week to make progress with its Bills. The most'important Bills now on the order paper are the Housing Bill and the Board of Trade Bill. Tlie_latter Bill, after being passed by the House, lias come back from the Legislative Council with amendments, wliidi now await tlie consideration of the Lower Chamber. Fifteen other Government Bills are on the order paper, most of them awaiting their second reading. They include the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Bill, Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, Mnnawatu Gorge. Road and Bridjo Bill, Education Purposes Loans Bill, Companies Amendment Bui, .1 üblio Health Amendment Bill. Police Offences Amendment Bill, Prisons Amendment Bill, Juries Act Amendment Bill. Polico Force Amendment Bill, and-Justices or the Peace Amendment Bill. There are other important Bills still to come, so that the House, if it is to end the session in the first week of November, must work hard and sit late. THE WAR LOAN. The Minister of Finance (Sir James Allen) will make a statement to-day_or to-morrow regarding the War Loan. The extended period for the reception of subscriptions closed on Thursday. The Min•ister stated on Saturday that the compulsory clauses of the Finance Act would be put into operation against persons who should have subscribed to the loan and had not done co. TRAIN~SERVICES. An important improvement in the train services was promised, by the Prime Mm* istor on Saturday. Speaking in the House during the discussion of the estimates, Mr. Massey-said that a new timetable would come into operation in December, and would provide for the restoration, among other things, of the tlirougli expresses on the South Island Trunk lino. Mr. Massev added yesterday that the new time-tablo would operate from December 1. He believed it would give the Dominion a better train service than had been provided before the cut, since somo adjustments were to be made. WOMEN'S RIGHTS. The Women's Parliamentary Rights Bill is at present in a state of suspenfe. Tho dispute between the two Chambers concerning the Legislative Councils amendment confining women s right., of admission to the House has been referred to ft committee, and this committee stands adjourned until Wednesday. The Bill probably will be saved, but tho Council may bo able to carry its amendment. If its managers stand firm the House must yield or lose the Bill.

WELLINGTON MILK.

The Wellington City Milk Supply Bill is "in tho air." Tlio chairman of the Local Bills Committee returned tho Bill to tho-House last week. His motion that the report of the coinmitteo on the Bill shoiild lio on tho table was tho subject of an amendment" moved by Sir John Findlay, that the report 6hould bo referred baok to the committee. The debate on the morion and amendment was interrupted by tho 5.30 p.m. adjournment, and until opportunity offers of resuming the debate the Bill can mako no progress.