PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1922, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

TO RESUME THIS WEEK. •

IMPORTANT WORK AHEAD. SOME CONTENTIOUS BUSINESS. Parliament resumes work this week, the Legislative Council having adjourned over the holidays till 2.30 p.m. tomorrow, and the House of Representatives till 2.30 p.m. the following day. Good progress was made with the Parliamentary business prior to the holidays, but a good deal of work, though much of it is of a routine character, yet remains to be done. The Estimates nave yet to be completed, the Public Works Statement to be brought down and discussed, and there will, of course, be the Supplementary Estimates to be considered. There is also a fair amount of legislation yet to be put through; and, while there are not wanting sanguine predictions that the session will fiiiish on or before January 31, the probability is that it will run well into February—at least to the middle, if not to the end of that month.

RETRENCHMENT.

While the Prime Minister has stated more than once that he cannot complain that the Opposition has in any way unnecessarily obstructed the progress of the House, some o-f the business yet 'to be dealt with, including, as it does, the Government’s economy proposals and meat pool legislation, is held to be likely to give rise to considerable discussion. The wages of the railwaymen and other public servants, being fixed by Act of Parliament, can only be altered by Act of Parliament, and the general impression is that the Government’s retrenchment proposals will set members—even those on the Reform benches —talking at no little length.

THE PROPOSED MEAT POOL.

The Government’s meat pool scheme has met with a somewhat mixed reception in the country; and this fact is bound to be reflected, to some extent at least, on the floor of the House. Before the holidays the Prime Minister intimated that if the meat pool is to be made compulsory, legislation to that end would be required. A certain amount of strenuous opposition to a compulsory pool has been manifested by certain of the interests affected; and this may mean a sharp fight in Parliament, if and when a Meat Pool Bill is brought down. The details of the scheme, at any rate, have yet be submitted to the HouiSe, and their introduction will, in all probability, lead to a somewhat lengthy debate. A butter pool, involving similar legislation and discussion, may also be in contemplation.

It is understood, too, that Mr. Massay intends to bring down further financial proposals; and these, too, will no doubt occupy several hours—or £6O-worths— of Parliamentary time.

RENT RESTRICTIONS.

As already intimated, the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister for Mines and Labor) hopes to put through before the end of the session the new -Shops’ Hours Act Amending and Consolidating Bill, besides amending the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the legislation relating to the renting and possession of houses, and the Coal and Mines Act. There was not time before the .Christmas adjournment for Parliament to go thoroughly into the question of the legislation required to smooth out the difficulties which had arisen the existing rent and other housing restrictions. For that reason, the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, which was passed, was merely a stop-gap measure, designed to give the House two more months in which to make up 'its mind which of the expiring laws shall be allowed to pass out of existence, and what amendments, if any, shall be made in those u A hich are to be continued. While no definite statement has been made as to the Governmerit’s intention with regard to rent restriction and kindred legislation, it is understood that a new proposal will be made to meet the difficulty which now arises when a house is bought over the head of a tenant who is unwilling to quit. It is considered probable that the Government’s proposal will be that a purchaser, to secure possession, must be in a .position to guarantee that he will occupy the house for twelve months.

AUSTRALIAN RECIPROCITY!

It is understood that no finality has yet been reached in regard to the negotiations for a Reciprocal Customs Treaty with the Australian Commonwealth. The Government may, however, have something definite to report when the House meets; and should a reciprocity agreement have been arrived at, it may be found, large as was the power taken under the Tariff Act, that further legislation will be necessary to give effect to it. The fact that the present year is election year may have some effect in hastening the end of the session, as members are not as a rule disposed under such circumstances to stay in Wellington any longer than they can help. Members have still another session and an election to get through before the end of tlie year, and few will care to leave their electorates to the tender care of the opposing candidates. The exigencies of the farming industry may also tend to expedite business.