SESSION OPENS TO-MORROW.

Shannon News, 6 February 1923, Page 3

SESSION OPENS TO-MORROW.

SIGNIFICANCE QF MEMBER’S SEATS. \ . A GOVERN MENT tLUORITY? WELLINGTON, Last Night. Parliament will be opened' to-mor-row by Commission, and on that day the House will elect its Speaker. On Thursday the Governor-General (Viscount Jellicoe) will deliver the Speech, and the House will then decide when it will proceed with serious business. The. Address-in-Reply is to be moved by Mr Girling, but Mr Massey is .not announcing the seconder until to-mor-row. The session is likely to last about ten days/and most of the members have already marked the seats they will occupy when the House meets. An examination reveals several interesting facts. One is that Mr Witty, who had a front seat among' the Liberals last session, is to sit an the. Reform side of the House in the place formerly occupied by Mr Clutlia Mackenzie. Mr Isitt’s name is attached t-o the .place he used last session, one just behind the Leader of the Opposition. Sir Francis Bell will sit next to Mr Witty on 'the Government side. No seat btaring Mr Statham’s.name could he faund. The Liberal caucus was held to-day, hut no announcement was\ made ol: the resolutions, as the caucus is to be continued' to-morrow because Messrs Ngata and E’orbes were unable to get here in time. It is believed, however, that the meeting was a particularly enthusiastic Tme, and entirely'harmonious. Among those present were several whom the Reformers have been branding as Independents, including Messrs Murdoch and. S,' G. Smith. The Labour caucus meets to-mor-row.

A division will probably be reached towards the end of next week, and ,ii is expected the result will be Goveriiment 41, Opposition 38. The actual Reform strength is 38, but to it maj have to be added the.votes of Messrs Witty and Bell, for whom seats or, the Government • side of the House have been chosen, and, Mr lsitt. .This would make the Government’s voting; strength on a no-confidence motion 41, and would reduce the Opposition from 42 to 3!). Thou there is the possibility o,f Mr Statham -becoming- Speaker, and thus the Opposition would total 38.. It seems that Mr Statham has not been approached respecting the Speakership, hut the general impression is that he will bo invited to do so, and will accept. LIBERAL-LABOUR CAUCUS.'. NOTHING TO REPORT. WELLINGTON, Last'Night.; A caucus meeting of the LiberalLabour Parly was hold this afternoon. On being approached- afterwards by a L’i-css l'cpi't'Bcntative, tlie leader of the party, Mr T. Id. Willord, stated that deliberations were adjourned at 6 p.m. until to-morrow, in order to enable the Hon; A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) a!id Mr George Forbes (Huruhui), who -were unable to arrive in Wellington earlier, to be present. An announcement, therefore, of any resolutions, arrived at was not available.