POLITICAL

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 23 June 1917, Page 3

POLITICAL

THE COMING SESSION.

LIKELY TO BE LIVELY.

MANY SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION.

► During a visit to his constituency this week, Sir John Findlay, M.P. for Hawke's Bay, was interviewed respecting the prospects of the coming Parliamentary session. He expressed the opinion that the debate on the Address-in-Reply will occupy some time, and said that no doubt advantage will be taken of the hour allowed each speaker to ventilate a good many complaints and much of the dissatisfaction which have been made and felt during the recess against and with the Government's administration concerned with the war activities. "I have," continued Sir John, "heard confident predictions that the session will be a short one—l don't agree with that. Questions of the greatest importance will airise, and will be debated, whether the Government like it or' not. These will include the licensing question, particularly in respect to early closing, the cost of living, the treatment of returned soldiers, the reconsideration of pay and allowances to members of the expeditionary forces and to their dependents, soldiers' pensions and the question of land*' for settlement for returned soldiers, reconsideration of the classification of the Second Division for purposes of conscription, and, covering all, or most of these questions, is the question of finance. This last question is one which should, I believe will, engage the most serious attention of the House. ".I have heard it estimated by those 4 best qualified to judge, that we must expect, owing to the, curtailed service, a reduction of about £200,000 in the railway revenue, a large reduction in our Customs revenue, owing to restricted imports, and, if six o'clock closing is carried, a considerable reduction in the revenue in our beer tax. These reductions, accompanying a large increase in our expenditure, due to the war, the maintenance of our expeditionary forces, increased allowances to soldiers' dependents, increase in the number of soldiers' pensions, and to many other reasons, will make imperative some radical alteration in our sources of revenue, and in the methods and incidence in our taxation. "I have said enough, I think, to show how a wide field of contraversial subjects Parliament will probably enter upon, and I don't think that the mood in which members, reflecting the feeling of the country, are approaching the coming session is one in which the members of the House are likely to tacticly repose in the Government plenary powers to do as it thinks best. On the contrary, I think the House will demand to know what steps the Government proposes to take with respect to the various topics to which I have alluded, and having heard the nature or character of these steps will not refrain from the freest and fullest, criticism. From these reasons I am of opinion that no> matter how the Government may desire it, the session will not be a short one."