PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 98, 11 September 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

- •*- The Prime Minister stated, on Tuesday last, that'there is no foundation for a rumour which has lately been current, in Auckland district to' the effect that the general elections would take place in the first week in November. The matter, he says has not yet been decided.,, but the probabilities are that the election will be held about the usual time —that is about the last week of* November, or the first week in December.

On being asked whether it was likely that the passing of the Second Ballot Bill would influence the fixing of the date of the election day, Sir Joseph said that he saw no reason why the date should be made any earlier on this account.

In reply to a query as to how long the session was likely to last the Prime Minister intimated that he was not prepared to name the date of prorogar tion, but he did not think the end would be reached before the middle of October.

A return was presented to the House en Tuesday, showing that the exports of boned beef from the Dominion during the year ended July 31st last, were valued at £65,993. The principal ports of export were : New Plymouth, £20,289; Auckland, £10,283; Dunedin , £10,630; Patea v £9318; "Wellington ££8393; Invercargill, £4114; Lyttelton, £2264. Nothing has yet "been decided upon by the Government in regard to the date or programme of the formal opening of the Main Trunk railway: Various suggestions have been made, one being that a celebration should be held at the centre of the line half way between Wellington and Auckland, another that a - special train should be run through, and a third that the celebrations be held at Auckland and Wellington simultaneously. A suggestion has also been made that the functon should be held at Te Awamutu, near where the first sod of the work was turned by Sir Robert Stout in 18S5. The Prime Minister, in reply to a question on the subject, stated that he has promised to consider this suggestion when the matter comes up for decision.