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Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1929, Page 4

jTue first sitting of the House of Representatives this session that was a business sitting—on the second day of the session—did not terminate until after 2 o’clock in the morning. peculiar significance of this, says an exchange, consists in the fact thgt a proposal is to be made to curtail the hours of sitting by a provision under which the House will automatically adjourn at a specified hour in the evening. A design of this nature must be ineffective, except at the cost of a. considerable prolongation of the session, unless there is a genuine determination bn the part of all parties in the House to honour it very thoroughly and a self-denying resolution on the part of the Opposition parties to resist the temptation to make use of it as an aid to political strategy. The opportunities for delaying the transaction of public business through recourse to obstructive methods must be largely increased by the adoption of Standing Orders, under which the hours of the sitting of Parliament will be rigidly limited. All members

feel that protracted sittings constitute a serious evil, and for this ’reason a proposal to adopt fixed h-.-urs must appeal to them personally. They cannot but recognise, however, that Standing Orders directed !to secure the abolition of late sittings will be greatly open to abuse and, though they may virtuously protest, that they 'would not in any cireums an. es turn them to their own party account, it is necessary to remember that, after all, it is the concern of a party in Opposition to embarrass the Government as much as possible. It is to be apprehended, therefore, that during times when party passions become inflamed restrictions upon the hours of sit ing will prove so irksome to the party in power that sooner or later they will have to be abandoned. The House has commenced badly this year. The late sitting on Friday last does not itself greatly encourage the beliief that any reform in the limitation of the hours of sitting will be permanentlv effected.