POLITICAL NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10711, 1 October 1912, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

SESSION PROSPECTS. (From tlio Dominion.) THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME. The Prime Minister stated on Saturday that he saw no reason why the session should not end h.y October 26. "Tho Government," he we'.it on tc iemark, "has a clearly-defined prograinme, and provided there is no obstruction, four weeks should; he sufficient to complete the work ahead of us. Members know how much is to he done and it rests with them to detormino J whether the session is to bo prolonged 'beyond the end of October."

} Following the usual custom, the Government will probably ask the House of Representatives to sit on . the last two Mondays and on the last Saturday of the session, and if this is cloiio; there will bo nineteen sitting days to transact the remaining business. 'There are at present twentytwo Public Bills on the Order Paper, of which sixteen have only been read ;a first time. Several other measures aro to be introduced.

"We propose to put through all the ' important Bills already announced." said Mr Massey. "A Defence Bill will be introduced, and Parliament will be asked to place it upon the Statute Book. Tho Land Bill, with the amendments, will probably ho circulated tomorrow, the Valuation Bill, though not a policy measure, dealing with Native matters, and a Land Agents Registration Bill on the lines of that introduced by Mr Witty are all to be dealt with this session. There will bo a debate on the principles of the proposed reform of the Lesrislative Council, and the House will lie' asked to pass tho Bill reducing the term of appointment of Legislative Councillors ito three years. Other legislative proposals to be carried through deal with military and widow's pensions, the flaw in the law which permits the employment of unregistered barmaids in private bars, and the matter of water pollution. Legislative authority will also be sought this session for "the proposed system of loans to local bodies, under which the State will pay the sinking fund. There will be a big washing-up Bill and a number o/f minor legislative proposals are also to lie dealt with. Still another important measure will be the. Lean Bill, which will provide for the borrowing of £1,750,000 for Publio Works. The sum of £IOO.OOO is to be borrowed for State Coal Mines, and £20,000 for Hauraki Plains drainage."

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The Public Works Statement will probably be delivered toward the end oi next week.

PUBLIC .SERVICE SUPERANNUATION. Legislation will probably be introduced this session to give effect to the actuarial recommendation that the annual subsidy paid by the State into the Public Service Superannuation Fund should lie increased for three years from £23,000 to £48,000. INVALIDS' PENSIONS. One of the measures which will be gone on with this year is the Invalids Pensions Bill, which is to confer pensions on unfortunates permanently incapacitated for work, either by accident or by reason of be-ins an invalid. J WIDOWS' PENSIONS. i It is proposed to introduce this session a Bill extending the benefits of the Widows Pensions Act to women whoso husbands are inmates of mental hospitals. STATE GOAL MINES. Provision is being made by the Government to raise this year £IOO,OOO for State Coal Mines. This action is taken in pursuance of a recommendation by the Under-Secretary for Mines ; who reported as follows on August 1, | 1912: —The time lias now arrived [ when further capital should be | authorised, and it is accordingly proposed to insert a clause in this year's Coal Minos Amendment Bill to sanction the raising of another £IOO,OOO, partly for the purpose of paying the balance of the cost of the development works at the now mine, and partly for repaying to tho account the amount which appeal's in the balancesheet as sinking and reserve funds and profit, but which has actually been exponded in development works at tho new mine.

P "\! AI J, FAE M SETTLEMENT. An important feature in the land policy of the present Government is the proposal to provide small farms on tho freehold tenure and on the deferred payment system. Some details .of tho proposal have yet to be determined, hut) it will take definite sliape very shortly, and any legislation necessary will lie included i,n. the Land Bill of this session. Jt is proposed to start this class of settlement on tho oxhausted gum lands of North Auckland, which arc considered peculiarly suited for fiint-fannini?;, but ultimately tho scheme- will extend to the

whole Dominion. The Government has already received application?, from a number of would-be selectors in tlie Auckland district. Departmental reports are being obtained at present regarding tno possibility of utilising for small-farm settlement lands in mining districts which are not required for mining, and could 1)6 put to agricultural uses. At Waircnga-, in the Waikato district, 70 miles south of Auckland city, the Government broke in ft number of fruit farms, and parried on their cultivation iintil the trees had"reached producing age, before the selections were entrusted to settlers. It is still an open question whether any similar policy will be adopted in extending small-farm settlement. An allied question is that of providing worker's homes in country districts. This also will be considered when the Land Bill is before the House, and. if necessary, a clause will bo inserted conferring powers on county councils to provide worker's homes.