POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12966, 20 November 1907, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES.

— ♦*- j (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON. November IP. THE ARBITRATION BILL. I have good authority for inferring hat it is tho intention of the Government to droo the Arbitration Act Vtueadment Bill. The Bill has been eft over so long that there is little . huncc of its passing now. THE END OF THE SESSION. Several members left for their homes to-day, and others will leave to-morrow. The Northern members hope the ses--iou will be at an end on Friday mom,ng. in time to Jet them get away by tho Northern express. They will proceed via the North Trunk route, and a special train will convey them over the atter portion of this journey. They should reach Auckland in this case at about 10 o'clock on Saturday night. Th* long sitting of the House yesterdfy left members very tired, both phvsicnllv and mentally. It was thought 'that the present Parliament would adopt more business-like methods than the previous administration, but as a matter of fact there i* little difference. The "Dominion" ha*, a scathing article on the .subject. It says: — "It is not pleasant to think that the expedition during the past few days has only been made possible by the exhaustion of the critical alertness of member*, nnd the withholding of the bulk of the projected legislation until n time when members in their anxiety to flop nwav are willing to agree to almost anything. The Assembly which spent months in profitless wrangling and foolUh merrymaking, and which lor all legislative purposes was ns good ns uncmplovcd for nine weeks, is now piss- i ing Bills with n breathless expedition that makes it as difficult to keep track of the heavy output as it was to dis- [ cover any output at all three months j ago " I THE PRESS ASSOCIATION. | In the House to-day Mr Jennings asked the Premier whether it was his intention to earn,' out hire ptrmi-e that the charges imposed by the Press Association to papers joining the Association should bo investigated. 'Hie Premier said he thought the suggestion he made was that he agreed to the setting up of a committee to enquire into tho purposes of the Association, but it was too late now to set up a committee. He oould say that he had got o good deal of iniforniaitiou concerning the matter, and there was a. desire on the part of a number of journalists in New Zealand and Australia to combine and have an independent service. He thought that the Pacific Cable Board should be able to give them an independent service, nnd personally he would be glad to see it. However, nothing definite could bo done this session, but he hoped next session" to be able to go into the matter. THE HAiRBOURS BILL. Tho committee to whom was referred the Ha,nbours Bill, report that in view of the numerous amendments proposed, by tho Conference, and the limited time now at tho disposal of Parliament, tho Bill should not be proceeded with this session, but that the Government bo urged to bring it before the House early next session.