POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9122, 23 June 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL.

Everything points to a brief sea s|on. The Premier gives the duration at three months, and in all probability the last session of the existing Parliament will not exceed twelve or thirteen weeks. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. J. A. Millar) already has a printed draft of the amending Arbitration Bill prepared, and the measure will lie introduced very early in the session. The Minister also has his draft copy of the Workers' Compensation Act Amending Bill printed. The Bill will not differ materially from that circulated ■ last session. Judging from what the Minister for Labour said at Napier on Friday, the amendments of the Arbitration Act this fcession will be on the same lines as those in the amending Bill of last year. He proposed, he paid, to do away with the Conciliation Boards and introduce a provision for Industrial Councils, to place the power of dealing \yith breaches of award in the handa of magistrates. He proposed that imprisonment or distraint should be abolished, and that in lieu thereof power should be given to the Labour Department, when a man said he would not pay a just penalty, to follow him wherever he went and get it out of his wages. He proposed to give unions the power to collect subscriptions from men working under awards whether they belonged to the unions or not, "We are'all realy to meet the House," said the Premier to a "Post" reporter, "and the policy Bills are ready for presentation, with the exreption of a few details which have yet to be decided on." Sir Joseph considers that the work of the session can be got through in three months. As to the date of the general election, he was less definite. The elections will be over well before Christmas. There will be no morning sittings this session—at any race, until the near approach of the end of the session renders such a step necessary. The Premier also rays he thinks that the House ought to be able to rise at midnight. "Short sittings and despatch of business" will be the Government's motto. It is stated that Mr J. G. W. Aitkert, M.P. for Wellington East, will not contest the next "General Election. ,