DAY SESSIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1925, Page 1

DAY SESSIONS.

XKW son’ll WAKES. PAR 1.1 AM EXT. SYDXKY, July 2. The decision of tlie New South Wales State Cahniet, that in future, Parliament shall meet from 10 a.ill. until (’> p.m. requires only the endorsement of the Parliamentary Labour Party to be pul into operation. Day sittings ot Parliament have long been one of the Labour Party’s pet projects, and now that it is in power and is in a position to exercise its will, iL is not unlikely that, the business of tile Legislature, or of tlie Legislative Assembly at least, will now Ik l conducted in daylight. .Mueli of tin' business of the Legislature. under existing conditions, and especially at Hie lag-end of a session, is now done while the members are in a sleepy, drowsy condition, and the spectacle of men being dragged from their sleep in the early hours of the morning to take part in a Party division is frequent. While, however, day sittings have their obvious advantages, the question lias been raised whether they will not tend to make polities more oi a prolessiou than is now the ease, and the monopoly of men who have no calling outside, and who find Parliament, with ail its club amenities and its substantial way, a very pleasant place. If Parliament is to sit in tlie daytime, not a few of the present members, including even some ot the Labour members, will have to dissociate themselves largely from business affairs outside. PENSION'S FOP WIDOWS. NEW SOETfI WALES SCHEME. SYDXEY. July 2. On tlie Labour Government's programme is a scheme to provide pensions for widows. The Cabinet lias nlready discussed tlie matter, but one of the chief difficulties ot course is the financing of the scheme. Departmental officials have been instructed to outline a scheme, setting out the sum that is likely to be involved oil a given weekly pension. It will lie a tidy sum. whatever it is. As there are about (>0,701 widows in the State, and as the pension is not likely to he less than Cl a week, tlie Government or the taxpavers will have to find lor this little humanitarian service, over £.'(>o.ooo a week. Even £30.000 a week, based on a pension of 10s a week, will not be easy to find, especially as Sir George Fuller’s imastod surplus is now said hy Air Lang to lie only a myth, without form or substance. But in its tenderness for widows, in its philanthropic regard for these poor defenceless women, the Labour Party made a feature of this pension scheme, and it is not likely to he so inconsiderate as to offer them a paltry 10s a week. A huge sum will thus have to be found somewhere to give tangible expression to its philanthropy.