SPECIAL SESSION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 15 November 1930, Page 19

SPECIAL SESSION.

A SLENDER PROSPECT. PARTIES preparing for general election. LTHE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 14. As this year's session recedes, the possibility of Parliament being called together before next June becomes perceptibly fainter. The suggestion was seriously made in the closing hours of last session that a special gathering should be held not only to deal with the economic situation but also to tackle the problem of railway construction. In the first instance the suggestion came from the Opposition Benches, and on the night the House of Representatives rose the Acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. E. A. ltansom, admitted that, it might be nocessary to call Parliament together earlier than usual. Both the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. (Joates, aud the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr H. E. Holland, expressed their willingness to co-oper-ate with the Government if it were found essential to hold a special session, and in the meantime the matter rested there. It is certain, however, that the Government will not take this serious step if it can be avoided if only for the reason that a Special session might hasten the General Election. If the present Parliament rilns its full course the General Election will not take place until the end of next year, and in spite of professions to the contrary it rridy be taken for granted that neither the Government nor the Labour Party is anxious to go to the country before it becomes necessary. Opinion in Parliamentary circles is that in spite of the fact that two important issues were left practically untouched when the House rose, the Government would prefer to leave them until next June, when Parliament will meot in the ordinary course of events.

Naturally nothing will be decided until the Prime Minister returns from the Imperial Conference. In the meantime there remains a slended prospect of an early session although as time passes it becomes more uncertain. Next Session. What next session will produce is ia the lap of the political gods, but it is certain that the gospel of preparedness is being preached among the supporters of the various Parties. In any case the last session of th 9 present Parliament will not bo a long one, for members will not care to spend too much tijnG in Wellington once their opponents have taken to the hustings. On the other hand it is possible that next year's gathering of Parliament will be cut short by a dissolution. Having supported the Government consistently since 1928, the Parliamentary Labour Party was responsible for the session closing on a most hostile note by reason of its heated attack upon the United Party over the postponement of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill. Just how Labour members will reconcile their past atti-

tude with their latest assertion that the Government should have been voted opt of office long ago and their professions of sorrow at having supported the Government for so long remains to be seen, but is it clear that their attitude during the last days of the session will not pave the way for a peaceful session next year. Party Preparations. The Labour Party has begun to make preparations for the General Election. Mr H. E. Holland has recently undertaken an extensive tour of the Dominion, and invitations have already been issued for the selection of candidates. The Reform Party also has been busy, and Mr Coates stated to-day that the Party's organisation throughout the country was active and progressing. Although the United Party's preparations ore not discernibly far advanced, it is understood that it also has not lost time since the session closed. Activities may be expected to become more apparent in the next few months, for although no Party is making obvious plans they are all keenly alive to a certainty of the present situation. Railway Construction. .The object underlying the suggestion of an early session by Reform Party members was chiefly to stop the expenditure of further money on the construction of seven railway lines which nre expected to show an annual loss of £737,000 when completed. The Select Committee, which commenced an investigation into these lines during the session was unable to reach any conclusions, Although the three Ueform members expressed the opinion that work should cease at rtnee ort at jesst three of the lines. The outcome is that work is going ahead and unless Parliament puts a stop to it. a large sum will have been spent by next June. There was also a suggestion that the economic situation called for national treatment, but nothing was done by Parliament to this end. A special session could be called to deal with either or both of these questions, hut Mr Ransofii expressed a hope that th© litter would be more or l6ss satisfactorily solved as an outcome of the Imperial Conference. ! _ : GISBORNE SEAT. 1 {TRESS taSOCIA'TIO* TSMtG It AM.) GISBORNE. November 14. The announcement is ma4e Political Reform League that Mr H. D. de Lfeutour will contest the Gisborne seat in the interest* of the Reform Party at the nest election. suppoirr for fusion. OfttSSS ASSOCIATION TZLBGZ4X.) WELLINGTON. November 14. At the request of the New Zealand Political Association. Mr (Sc. A. Troup, , Mayor of VV ellington. to-day agreed to j become a candidate for Wellington ( North at the next General Election. He reserved to himself the right to ' support & Party, but stated tndt, if 1 elected, he would use every influence ' to bring about a fusion between the . United nnd Reform Parties as against Labour. '