NO CONTENTIOUS BILLS

Evening Star, Issue 22463, 7 October 1936, Page 10

NO CONTENTIOUS BILLS

REMAINING BUSINESS FOR HOUSE EXTENSION OF WEEKLY SESSIONS [From Oor Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 7. Though there is nothing of a contentious nature involved in the Government’s legislative programme for the remainder of the session, a fair amount of work remains to be done before the House adjourns for the recess at the end of the month. A tentative list of the Bills which it is hoped to introduce before the enddsf the session was submitted to a Government caucus this morning by the Prime Minister, who warned members of his party that it would probably be necessary to hold Monday sittings of the House before long.

In an interview after the caucus had concluded, Mr Savage repeated that it was his aim that the House should complete its work by the end of the month, and Bills which were not ready by that time or which proved unduly contentious might have to be jettisoned. He said that the House would not be asked to sit next Monday, but probably there would be sittings on either the following Saturday or Monday; or both days. Much would depend on whether the law draftsman was able to have the legislation ready in time. The Prime Minister said that another Finance Bill, containing clauses dealing _ with a variety of • subjects, would be_ introduced to-day, and the Appropriation Bill and Supplementary Estimates would be brought down this week before the departure of Mr Nasi} for England. Other Bills which it was hoped to bring down in the next few days were the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, the Local Legislation Bill, and the Statutes Amendment Bill. These were Bills of the “ washing-up” type, containing odds and ends of legislation.

Glancing at the list, the Prime Minister _ remarked that it included the following Bills:—Workers’ Compensation Amendment, Education ' Amendment (dealing with the admission of five-year-old children), Agricultural Emergency Powers Regulations (confirmation of the wool levy), Auckland Harbour Board Agreement (dealing with an agreement between the Auckland Harbour Board and the Navy), the Geneva Red Cross Convention, Native Affairs (Washing-up), and the Coal Mines Amendment.

The Local Body Reform Bill, he said, would be introduced and referred to the Local Bills Committee for consideration, but would not be. passed this session.

Asked whether it was intended to pass the Industrial Efficiency Bill before the House rose, Mr Savage said that that would depend on the amount of opposition to the measure. He could not say at present just what would be done.