The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1908. THE COMING SESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 153, 27 June 1908, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1908. THE COMING SESSION.

Tar the cewt that lack, uHitan, Jfcr Mβ toronp «w( nemt* ruUtMcg, JT#r <Ac r»<«re in the dwtanc*. tAe good that toe c*a 0».

A long experience of-Parliamentary sessions has taught us the futility of forecasting the course of events too definitely before the beginning, of the legislative year. But so far as present indications go, it does not seem likely that this current year will assume any eminent degree of importance in our Paiiia mentary annals. It is, of course, undeniable thai there are several matters of pressing public urgency which have been actively discussed throughout the country during the recess and which Government must attempt to deal with, before Parliament closes. We "refer more particularly to the necessity for amending the Arbitration Act, which must engage the immediate attention of our legislators whatever else they ignore. But it is "only natural under the circum stances that members should be thinking this year more about the coming election than about any further experiments in Law-making. There is very little inducement to a Parliament to'exert itself seriously over radical legislative changes that may all .be reversed in a few months by the result of the coming struggle at the polls. And,, human nature being what it is, we can hardly blame the members individually for being anxious to hurry through Parliamentary work as speedily as possible and get back to their constituencies. We have no doubt that the Premier and his colleagues will succeed in getting through all the work that is absolutely indispensable for the successful administration of the country'; but outside .these limits we can hardly expect \ the-, last session of a ParUament ever to provide much interesting material for .controversy or criticism,

As to the chief measures that will probably occupy most of the time available for legislation during the next few months, a foremost place will naturally be claimed by the bill to amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Means to secure the enforcement.of the awards of the Arbitration Court and* the substitution of Industrial Councils for Conciliation Boards will probably be th> chief features of the new bill, which is to be circulated immediately. The euggeations made by varmu iiiiiiiaJwi, dnr-

ing the recess, to the- effect that exceptional skill and industry should receive. special recognition in our industrial 'system, will possibly be embodied

in this measure. One of the most important and comprehensive of the bills that the Premier intends to introduce will provide lor the establishment of that system of National Annuities, which Mr Seddon and other leading Liberals have advocated as the national complement to our Old Age Pensions. A measure dealing with an important side of our constitutional privileges is the Second Ballot Bill, which Sir Joseph Ward has strongly advocAted, and which seems likely to supersede the Absolute Majority Bill, so long associated with the name of Mr McNab. Two bills of great public interest are to,be brought down by Mr Fowlds—one dealing with our hospitals and charitable institutions, in the preparation of which the minister lias recently had the benefit of the suggestions and criticisms of a conference of local bodies; the other amending the Education Act, so as to improve the status of our public school teachers. . Mr Millar's proposed amendment of the Workers' Compensation Act; and Dr Fmdliy's Judiciary Bill will doubtless evoke vigorous discussion; but, in genuine importance neither of these can compare with the Native Lands legislation, which Mr Carroll will bring down, embodying the recent recommendations of the Native Lands Commission.

Reviewing this programme, our readers may be inclined to think that it affords very slight prospect of a short and uneventful .session. However, we can hardly expect Parliament to .deal with' all this material exhaustively; and it must not be forgotten that the time available for tactual legislative work this, year will be considerably, curtailed by the suspension of Parliament during the visit, of the American fleet. ' Apart from direct legislation, the most important side of Parliamentary work is financial; and we hope that our representatives will assemble at Wellington next* week thoroughly determined to keep a firm hand on public expenditure, and to countenance nothing like extravagant administration or reckless borrowing. Happily for the country, the Premier and his colleagues seem to have a clear view of their responsibilities toward our heavy public debt, and the necessity for reducing rather than augmenting it. We wish that we could be as sure of their caution and foresight in all matters of adnihiistrative detail. In this connection we may refer Briefly to certain protests that have been raised in the Southern, centres against the large outlay of public money that is apparently contemplated this year in Wellington itself. The destruction of the 1 old Parliamentary buildings by fire last year necessarily involved . the country in heavy loss; but we do. not think.' that the general public yet realises how much will have to be spent in pulling I down Government House building a new Parliament House on its site, building a | new Government House on a new site, erecting new Departmental buildings on the old Parliamentary site, and altering the existing Government House to meet Parliamentary requirements for the next two or three years. In addition to all this .there is a new Public Trust Office in course of erection; while the newPost Office is to cost about £100,060. This building programme is estimated to run into half a million for construction alone,' without furnishing; and it would be well for Parliament to consider carefully whether the present Government House would not do for Parliamentary buildings, and the present Government buildings would not serve our purposes well enough for many years to come, without drawing upon funds tha£ are urgently required for the more necessary purposes of briilding roads and railways, developing our resources, and extending isettlement throughout the country. '