THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15938, 27 June 1917, Page 6

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

PROSPECTS OF THE SESSION,

(srixiAL to 'the rnEss.'')

WELLINGTON, Juno 26

Parliamenl opens on Thursday with his Execllency's Speech. It has "not been usual in more recent years for the Speech cf the. Governor to be made the vehicle for the policy programme of the Ministry, and it is certain that this excellent ru'o will still bo observed. For a statement in full of the legislative and financial programme of the Govern, ment, tho House, and the. country will have to wait for the Financial Statement, and as Sir Joseph Ward will no doubt wish to prepare the Budget himself in consultation with his colleagues, the statement may not be made early; indeed, some of the important measures may appear before the Budget is reached. In any ease very little legis. lation of importance is in sight. This statement lcavesout of account the six o'clock hotel-closing issue, which is n legislation question. It will bo the knottiest problem the Government will be asked to solve this session, and assuredly the Government will bo asked to solve it either by introducing and supporting a Bill, or by giving a Bill introduced by a private member tho right of tho road. No measure introduced by a private member can have much chance of success, which means that the Bill to deal with the liquor trndo. if such a measure is to coma down, must bo n Government Bill if it is to effect anything.

A \>ii; loan nn c l lieaw additional ta\M arc sure to como. Tlio loan is likely to bo ns bia as that, of last year—ten. millions—and tlio additional taxes aro likelv to be correspondinsrlv licavy. One of the demands of the House, or of some members of it, will bo for tlio repeal of the excess profits tax. which is with some reason alleged to be unfair in its incidence upon some taxpayers, if not upon all. Nobody knows yet what the tax has produced, but wo hnvo had hints that the amount has been up to expectations, and if so, the Treasurer is not likely to agree to its repeal. There may bo sonio modifications in the method of assessment, to gefc rid of anomalies. This is perhaps ' more likely than the total repeal of tlio tnx.

As for the loan, it is stated on the authority of tlio Bank of Now Zealand Board of Directors that the country lias an exceptionally largo loanable credit. It should therefore be quite safe for tho Government to ask for a bin war loan.

A host of questions, some of them Imperial. or at least affecting the Empire, as wel) as Now Zealand, wi T l bo discussed this session. It is likely that tho best opportunity members will have to refer to these questions will bo on the financial debato. The roiurned Ministers are sure to take carlv opportunities of introducing these questions to the House, but it is not probable thai all tho questions discussed nt tho Imperial Conference will bo open for froo discussion by the House.

Everywhere one hears that the session is to bo a turbulent one, and that the Government is to have a bnd time. Tho fact probably is. that the Hotiso will prefer to let tho Government livo rather than to destroy it, for the very simple but very stron'e reason tlinj> tlio - - destruction of the Government would inevitablv bo followed by n General elrc- • tion. Members do not liko elections, and in any enso tho best members i*t tho House realise that nji election would , be a calamity at this time. Tho onlv question which is serious cnouch to force the Government to {rive eround 0" ! co out '.s tho early elosine issue, some of the supporters of it wil' lipsitnto to press home their n=snnHs or 4 tlio Government to fore© a decision. * v