END OF THE SESSION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 116, 12 November 1931, Page 15

END OF THE SESSION

A MO3IENTOIXS PERIOD RECORD OF WORK DONE The Parliamentary session, described by the Prime Minister in his final speech as one of the most momentous in the history of Now Zealand, came to a close a few minutes after 6 o'clock last evening. ' An oiiicial return supplied before the House rose shows that the record of Government Bills passed is somewhat smaller than that of most sessions in. recent years, and the same applies to the average sitting hours per day. Public Bills which received the Royal assent totalled 53, and 40 others were dropped or otherwise disposed of. In addition three private Bills were passed. The Houso of Representatives met on 74. days in tho span of twenty weeks, including an adjournment of ten days after the formation of the Coalition Government. Tho sitting hours per day averaged 5.45,' which with two exceptions, the twelve-day session in March, 1921, and the ordinary session of 1885 —are the shortest on record. The hours of sitting before midnight totalled 397, and those after midnight 28i. Seven divisions of tho whole House took place, and 48 in Committee. ACTS PASSED. Tho Acts passed are as follows: — Public Acts:—Air Navigation, Appropriation, Broadcasting, Chattels Transfer Amendment, Companies Empowering Amendment, Counties Amendment, Customs Acts Amendment, Defence Amendment, Education Reserves Amendment, Finance (No. 3), Finance (No. 4), Hawkes Bay Earthquake Relief Funds, Imprest Supply, Imprest Supply '(No. 2), Imprest Supply (No. 3), Imprest Supply (No. 4), Imprest Supply (No. 5), Inspection of Machinery Amendment, Land and Income Tax Amendment, Land and Income Tax (Annual), Land Laws Amendment, Land Transfer (Hawkes Bay), Law Practitioners, Licensing Poll Postponement, Local Authorities Empowering (Relief of . Unemployment) Extension, Local Authorities Loans (Rates of Interest), Local Legislation, Mining Amendment, Mortgagors Relief Amendment, Mountain Guides, National Provident Fund Amendment, Native Land, Native Purposes, Rerit Restriction Extension, Reprint of Statutes, Reserves and Other Lands Disposal, Rural Intermediate Credit Amendment, Scientific and Industrial Research Amendment, Stamp Duties Amendment, Taulpiri Drainage and River District Amendment, Trad-ing-coupons, Transport Licensing, Unemployment Amendment. Local/lets: —Auckland and Suburban Drainage Amendment, Auckland Har-, bour Board and other Local Bodies! Empowering, Auckland War Memorial Museum Maintenance Amendment, Cameron and Soldiers' Memorial Park I (Masterton) Trustees Empowering, Christchurch District Drainage Amendment, New Lynn Sewerage Validation, Petono Borough Council Empowering, Rotorua Borough Reclamation Empowering, South Wairarapa River Board Empowering, Wellington City Empowering. Private Acts: Auckland Harbour Bridge Empowering, Dominion Life Assurance Office of New Zealand, Limited, Wanganui Church Acre Amendment. BILLS DROPPED. Tho following Bills were dropped:— Amusements-tax Amendment, Bank of Now Zealand Amendment, British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Amendment, Building Construction, Captive Birds Shooting Prohibition, Crimes Amendment, Currency, Deaths by "Accidents Compensation Amendment, Deaths.by Accidents Compensation Amendment (No. 2),- Distress and Replevin Amendment, Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Amendment, Electoral Amendment,' Expiring Laws Continuance, Gaming Amendment, Gold .Bounty, Honey Local-marketing Board, Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment, Invalid Pensions, Judicial Proecediga (Regulation of Reports), . Licensing Amendment, Licensing Poll Postponement Amendment, Local Elections and Polls Aihendment,;Loeal Elections and Polls Amendment (No. 2), Marriage Amendment, Meat Export Control Amendment, New Zealand Institute of Architects Amendment, Now Zealand Institute of Clerks of Works, Painters and Decorators' Health Protection, Painters and Decorators Registration, Public Hospitals Assisting, Rating "Amendment, Religious Instruction in Public Schools Enabling, Shipping and Seamen Amendment, Silver and Copper "Coinage, Transport Licensing, War Ministers' Profits, Christ-, church Estuary and Rivers Conservancy, Christchurch Tramway District Amendment, Stoke Water Supply, Wei-1 lington City Milk Supply Amendment. THE LAST SCENES. ■ ■ The final proceedings in both. Chambers of the- Legislature were fragmentary, as is usual on the last day of tho session. Tho Mortgagors' Relief Amendment Bill threatened to be troublesome in tho Legislative^ Council, but a possible delay in disposing of it to the satisfaction of both Houses was met by the introduction of a GovernorGeneral's Message giving effect to an amendment which was suggested in the Statutes Revision Committee of the Upper House. This extends the benefits conferred by the new legislation upon persons who may have received relief under tho Act passed early this year. : ' " Mr. Speaker left for Government House to receive tho assent to the final Bills shortly after 4.30 p.m., and both Houses met for the exchange of compliments shortly after 5 p.m. Meanwhilo members of the House amused the gallories with a "mock Parliament," the chief feature of which was a series I of Highland songs by the member for Mataura, Mr. D. M'Dougall, who was installed in the Chair. According to tradition, Parliament died hard, and the last motion to adjourn was contested. Tho tellers' sheets showed that tho Prime Minister had voted both_ for and against the motion, and an adjustment gave tho verdict in favour of adjourning by 22 votes to 18. Tho proceedings closed with the National Anthem.