DURATION OF THE SESSION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12932, 11 October 1907, Page 8

DURATION OF THE SESSION.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMME.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER

(ericiAL to "th« was. ) WELLINGTON, October 10. Various matters bearing on mo duration of the session came unci t review in the House this afternoon, when tho Premier moved hi* motion to the effect that from Monday next tho House should meet on Mondaj evenings for the transaction of Government business only.

Mr Massey pointed out that the proposal would 1k» a severe tax on the House. fcH'veral members had already been laid aside by sickness, nit hough he did not put this down to the hours, which on the whole had not boon unreasonable. He attributed it rather to the ntmosphero of the Chamber end lobbies. (Hear, hear.) '"J hey are laden with germs. , ho declared. (Chorus of approval.) More fresh air was required in the Chamber. Mr Massey proceeded to nsk the Premier if ho would follow the usual courso in regard to his motion, and make « statement as to the intention of the Government for the- rest of tho session. Hp thought it wouJd be better to allow important measures to stand over till next session rather than rush them through nt tho tail end of the. session in imperfect form. (Hear, hear," and "No, no"). Tho Premier said his desire in moving for. Monday night sittings w«s to avoid late hours. Ho thought that if members concentrated themselves on tho work they should get away before the end of November. To do this, however, it meant either late hours or Monday night sittings. There was still v Land Bill to complete, the Meiklo Bill, the Endowment Bill, tho Nativo Land Bill (which must take up considerable time), tho Railway Classification and tho Civil Servants Superannuation Bill. There was also tho Arbitration Bill, which would also take up some time. The Anti-Gambling Bill was likewise required to do passed, and then there were the Public Works Statement, tho Flour and Potato Bill, and some others. Except at the extreme ond of tho session, he hoped it would not be necessary to sit before 7.30 p.m. on Mondays. Hβ expressed sympathy with the sick members, but was suro the hours were not responsible. He would bo only too glad to do all ho could to have tho ventilation of the House improved. (Hear, hear). In reply to Mr Fisher, the Premier said he could not state how far the Shops and Offices Bill bed proceeded in committee, but it was intended to put through a Bill relating to the Chinese coming into the country.

NATIVE LAND QUESTipN. Mr Hemes entered an emphatio protest regarding the maroner in which important legislation was delayed till towards the end , of the session. He referred particularly to the Native Land Bill. Thia Bill, he eaid. was a most important one, and should have boon in the hands of memibera months ago. If such an important measure was to be brought down in tihe dying days of the session, and niched , through at railway speed, he would do all he could to prevent its passing. It was a policy Bill, and should be in- ,a forward position. Thore were other measures which should have been in the hands of 'membora before this. There were the Shoddy Bill, the Flour and Potato Bill, and the Native Land BiH. All theee were "in nuhibus," and yet there was at the present time practically nothing on the Order Paper except private members- Bills. Mr Maseey said he ihad to endorse most emphatically what Sir Herries had said. The Native Bill was one of the most important mentioned this session. He showed the Government a way out; let them drop some of their other measures, and have the Native Land Bill at once. Hβ referred to tihe Endowment Bill, which he eaid , it was an open eecret was es dead as Julius Csesar. There was certainly no time to put through al,these measures in a satisfactory manner this eeseion, and he hoped it would not be attempted. Mr Ngata said there was not a single member who did not agree with what Sir Herries had said about miatiye land legislation. It would be advieable to postpone the Bill till next 668----sion, and adopt the Taihoa policy. The Premier: We're not going to have that. Mr Ngata: I would sooner have that than sco the Bill rushed through at the end of the session.

Mr Greenslad© urged the importance of dealing with the native land question this sc&sion even, if they had to stay a fortnight or a montii longer. Mr Baumo spoke to a similar effect, and said that a little extra time should not be considered in 'having the great question of native lands settled, so far as it could be settled by legislation , . Mr A. L. D. Fraser eaid that at the t>eginnin!g of the present year they had the Premier, th© Native Minister, and the Attorney-General addressing .meetings in different parts of the country, and stating that the Government recognised the importance of the native land question, and that one of the first Bills to be introduced this session would bo a Native Land Bill. Here, however, they were at the tenth of October, and ho ventured to cay that there wae not so mush as a scratch of a pen done in regard to a Nntivo Lend Bill. '""Even if ivo have to stay hero till Christmae/'ho said. ,- I think wo ought to stay and aasist tho Government in passing such legidation." Ho went on to cay that even if the Hcnso had only a procie of the proposed native b.nd legislation, it would be as oil to rusty machinery in assisting to pass the land legislation now before the House. There was a strong fcnling in the North Iβland that the n>ativo J«nds were to be placed upon tho market on tho optional tenure. Lot that once be known, and it wonl<l greatly assist matters. Tho House should not rise until it had don/ 1 justice to this arrat question. The Native Minister said members need not have any iViar that the Nfltive Land Bill would not be brought down this session. He referred to the difficulty there wafi in drafting a measure such as was required in view of the quantity of past legislation that had to bo dealt with, end considered they had to work right bark to tlm original state of affnirv The Houso would -not bo kept waiting very bn<r for the Bill.

THE PREMIER IX REPLY

The Premier, in replying, characterised Mr Hemes' strictures in rcard to tho work of tho sossion and "tho future as unwarranted. Mr Hemes had also suggested something in regard to the native land legislation that°thv> Government were not going to do Tho Government had already indicated -wlißt tho proccduro was to bo in regard to future business this session, and they intended to bring the legislation before the House in the order they thought durable. Hβ pointed to tho inconsistency of tho suggestion of the- member for the Bay of Plenty, in view of the strong opposition that had been made in committee to the present land mdasuro. Mx Xgata had suggested that the proposed policy measure in regard to native affairs should bf> left till nftit session, but "taihoa, taihoa" waa not tho policy of this Government. (Hear, hear.) The nativeland question was important aliko to both islands. The time had com<. when every member of the llou.se (outside thosf who looked upon native matters iw tlicir particular preserve), and. md<~rd, evi-ry ineniW of the countiv,

should take the closed ;«i . . plaint that tho Bill had earlier, he po.nted out that the Native Lands Commission had not reported ..mil late in July. The .nme.SThS boon made that nrov.s.ons should co in tho Bill roforrine to timber eon-tracts-lf.Bal.suiß things that some people had done deliberately with tho object of having tlieni legalised aftor- i wards —and that these matters should be dealt with by the policy Bill. But tho Government would do nothing of tli© kind. They required to be put into a "general ,, or "washing up" Bill at tho end of the session. As to Mr Herries' suppostion that the Bill could bo dealt with by the Native Affairs Committee- to-morrow if it cam© down, he had already stated that nothing vital could be done by that committee on a policy measure. This was no reflection on tho committee, which was one of the most competent the House had had. No evidence required to bo taken whatever in such a case. BEAD OR SLEEPING? The Premier went on to say ihat the Lender of the Opposition was labouring urdcr a misapprehension when he said tho Endowment Bill was killed, or as dead as Julius Ctrsar. Mr Massey: It is dead in the meantime, and you know it. ,Sr Joseph repeated that it was not dead. H© vent on to say that tho Government had placed the Bills on tho Order Paper in tho sequence in ■which it was intended to bring them Wore iho House. When tho Endowment Bill on m«. bo for© the House

Mr Massey: It has got to come baok from tho committee yet.

The Premier made an interjection which led Mr Massey to retort: "Well, the schedule has been knocked ont ot the Bill, if j'ou will have it."

Th© Premier: Well, if that is so, tre will put it back again. He went on to say that the Government had got over a hundred Bills which were ready —(Cries of "Oh' , ) —but it was intended to bring them down in tho order ot their importance. Referring to the native land question, he said that the Government's desire was that it should be dealt with carefully and deliberately. Mr Hornsby: Are you compelled to send tho Bill to tho Native Affairs Committee?

Th© Premier: It is usual to do so. Air Hbfhsby: You -would not let them hang it up. The Premier: Certainly not. The committee might bo asked to report within a week. An earnest and honest attempt, he said, should be made to untio the tangled knote which were involved in the question of native lands.

Th« motion urea then agreed to,