THE SESSION

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 26, 25 October 1921, Page 4

THE SESSION

PARLIAMENT MEETS AGAIN TO-DAY ~ 0 Both Houses of Parliament will meet to-day. The Legislative Council will receive the Local Bodies’Loans Bill, which has been passed by the House. Mipor Government Bills will receive attention in the House. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Cabinet had a long sitting yesterday for the consideration of details of. the Financial Statement. The Prime Mimster stated subsequently that the Statement was assuming its final form, but he was not prepared to fix a date for its appearance in the House of Representatives. RETRENCHMENT. The Primo Minister has indicated already that some of the Government s proposals for the reduction of public expenditure will he placed before Parliament in the Financial Statement. It is anticipated that the Estimates accompanying the Statement will show the results of instructions that have been given to the Departments to economise. Ministers have given very little. indication yet of their intentions with regard to wages and salaries in the Public Service. THE MORATORIUM. The Mortgages and Deposits Extension Bill, which was introduced some tune ago in the House of Representatives, has received a great deal of adverse criticism outside Parliament. It seems to be s taken for granted in the lobbies that the Bill will undergo amendment at the hands of a committee before it comes up for consideration in the House. The original intention of the Government was to refer the Bill to the Statutes Revision Committee. But the measure may be sent instead to the Public Accounts Committee. The Prime Minister has given notice to set up this committee, but his motion is still on the order paper. The committee that receives the Bill is likely to take the evidence of financial experts and other persons specially interested in the treatment <f mortgages and deposits. The measure will not reach its final stages in Parliament until time has been allowed for objections to be heard and considered. ANIMALS PROTECTION BILL, The Animals Protection and Game Bill, now before the House of Representatives. proposes to give the Government power to "regulate or prohibit the shootin" or killing of pigeons or other birds released from any trap, box, or similar contrivance.” The appearance of this provision is welcomed by the various New Zealand Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which have long protested against pigeon-shooting, lhe gun clubs, on the other hand,, see in the provision a threat to their interests and they have been communicating with members of Parliament, already with the object of having the provision deleted or modified. The discussion will centre on the question of cruelty. The representatives of the "un clubs do not admit that there is any more cruelty in shooting pigeons than in shooting game birds in tho open. The opponents' of trap-shooting argue that there is cruelly not merely in the shooting of half-tame birds, released for the purpose right under tho guns, but also in the transport of tho pigeons and their confinement in small boxes or cages before tho shooting. The Bill may be referred to a committee in order that its details may be examined and evidence taken. It is admitted that it contains some debatable matter, though most of its provisions seem to have met with general approval. An effort will te made to have the list of protected birds extended hv the addition of certain other bird’, mainly of a migratory nature. Another suggestion is that everybody who takes out"’a fishing license should become a member of the acclimatisation society granting the license without having to fill in and return thb form attached to the license.