WORK OF THE SESSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1921, Page 6

WORK OF THE SESSION.

PREMIER REVIEWS POSITION, MUCH STILL TO BE DONE. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Nov. 29. The Prime Minister to-night gave the House some particulars of the business done this session and that yet to be done, and indicates that if members •wished to finish before Christmas they would require to work steadily. There had been. 15 Bills passed already before select committees. They were: Animals Protection, Anzac Day Amendment, Factories, Law of Libel further Amendment, Local Bodies Finance, Mortgages and Deposits Extension, Native Trustee, Motor Vehicles. On the order paper were the following Bills: Death Duties, Forest, Land Agents, Maintenance Orders, Education Amendment, Customs Amendment. Seventeen local Bills were waiting to be dealt with, but they did not take very long as a rule. As to private Bills Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton): “Their day is gone.” The Prime Minister: “Yes, their day is gone, and I think we can assume they have gone too.” In addition to those Bills on the order paper and before select committees there were waiting to be dealt with, the State Advances Bill, which would be short,' the Stamp Duties Bill, the SaAnngs Bank Amendment, referring only to private savings banks, the usual Land and Income Tax Bill in order to permit certain amendments, Aid to Public Works and Land Setlement (a Loan Bill authorising Government to raise money for public works and development), the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill and the Finance Bill. The last named would be one of the most important of the session, because it provided the necessary legislation for dealing with the economies and retrenchment which the Government had in hand for some time past. There were also the Harbors Bills, which would be short, the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Bill, which was nearing completion. the usual Washing Up Bill, now in course, of preparation. The Bill was bulky, and there was little chance of dealing wiui it this session, but there would be certain necessary, amendments. A Life Insurance Bill was proposed dealing with deposits by companies, also a Shops and Offices Amnn<lment. a Housing Amendment and :• Native Washing Up Bill. There were many others, but there was not the slightest chance of their being dealt with this session. A number of members had asked him to express a definite opinion as to when the session would end. It depends on members themselves whether they Were to end before Christmas. They could have twenty full days before Christmas by taking in one Saturday, and if they were going to finish in twenty days the House required to apply itself steadily- He was not going to ask the House to go in for legislation by exhaustion, or anything of that sort, and he would not ask them jo sit all night unless of course there was obstruction. Mr. Witty: “There never is.”

Mr. Massey: “No, I can’t agree with the lion, member. The work would have to be done well and thoroughly, and it was all a matter of application. There was also the Tariff Bill, with which they had made good progress up to the present, though the heavy work was yet to come. Then there were the Public Works Statement and estimates and general estimates, which he thought would be so satisfactory when they

came back from committee that members would put them through at once. A short Arbitration Bill was also proposed, but he could not yet say what it would contain.