THE COMING SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 228, 19 June 1908, Page 8

THE COMING SESSION.

V WORK TO BE DONE. , "POSSIBLE" AND "PROBABLE" MEASURES. ' IDLE SPECULATIONS. ■ -j -?■•.- Each session of Parliament is ' approached with much speculation as to its likely dura- .-■■■'■ tion and tho. sizo of the volume of laws it will produce. The coming session/however, y:-: is uniquo in one • important respect, which r."t; makes a forecast more difficult, than over. Twice in tho jlaot fortnight, Ministers, in VK - tho course of:'replies; to deputations,: have ; • indicated that ( tho passing of certain laws and amendments, tho value and necessity of ■ which they have acknowledged, .will .depend upon tho temper of the members in their new quarters. The Prime Minister has said that the session;: will last L : about three'jnonths. The sitting hours will

have to be arranged, and this matter will

depend largely upon tho adequacy of tho ventilation of .tho Chambers. A "growl" ' was indulged in annually at the extent of the ventilation of the old House of Repr<v Guntatives, but tho provision in the temporary premises: must necessarily be far less adequate, owing to : structural difficulties; and it remains to, .bo ''seen 'how many hours on end upwards of , seventy,men can, remain in 1 the room. Much' has been done for the [, comfort of members, and the officials of the i • Houses, but the arrangements at best are J, - but temporary, and when the novelty wears r off, no doubt querulous voices will be heaid : in tho lobbies and corridors. This will all , tend, r , to shorten, the session,'and limit tho volume of work. ■ ■ - . ' THE 'WORK TO BE DONE. . ■. k. The Prime, Minister.: has Already outlined the. measures "the Government will bring for- - ;ward. .He has given them asfollows: —An . . amendment to tho Civil Service ■ Act, an amendment to the Conciliation' and Arbitra- ( tion Act, Mining Act, tho Shipping ' and y. . Seamen's Act, the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, the Teachers' Superannuation Act, tbo Tramways Act, the' Workers' Compensation Act, the Education Act, the Police Sup- ■ ©raimuation Act, the Contractors' and Workmen's Liens . Act, the. Corporation Contractors Act, Destitute Persons Actj and the ; . ■, Friendly Societies' Act. He- also 'intends to introduce a system of; national annuities for •■■■■■ the people generally; "legislation. providing superannuation for employees .of , all local [- bodies, harbour boards, etc. ; and the second | . ballot system. ; ' SOME DETAILS. Most of the above, it will be observed, are amending measures'. .The' general nature of the amendments to the Conciliation and ; . Arbitration Act have. already been vaguely, outlined in Ministerial speeches. The substitution of representative conferences for the Conciliation Board will be-included, as : .--Jn the l amending Bill of last: year. The • Slaughtering and Inspection Bill,, among t ;■; . otjier things, will seek to centralise the conf;' .. strpl of'sloughter-house inspection. The Tram-' .ways 'Act Amendment Bill' will be largely h ■ on the lines l of • last year's measure—which [ - • was among the slaughtered innocents. The | ■ amendment to:tho,'Education Act will be in I ■relation .to ; teachors' salaries. Alterations r : to tho . Friendly Societies' Act were promised r somo timo ago by ;tlie Prime' Minister. 1',.: . Amorig '• -important reforms in . tho meaI suro will be, a' more ; adequate', audit.! of; ■ friendly, societies' accounts. In February last Sir Josepli; Ward promised to obtain iet' ( cords, of the, oarly foundational history of .. :; the lodges*- butso far this has uot been done. [ Tho MiningjAct'Amendment will put'beyond f any doubt,'to uso tho words of the Primo Minister, the original intention of the Gov-, j;.ernment.iri relation to the -" bank-to-bank " [■■ • ■ clause. — ■ ■ ■ , -. 1 "" ANOTHER'LONG LIST. | So much for measures which the Prime f.'!; ■:;' Minister, has definitely stated lie will inl;!'::: troduce. But there is another long list of f; j, half-promised Bills. . Tho Hospital and Charj,., itable Aid .Bill,, for instance, is not men:tinned by the Prime Minister.; At tho re- • cent conference the opinion was expressed by . certain of the delegates that tho Bill would ■not be passed during the coming pession,and it.'seems likely, that this .will be the case. During last .session the Hon. Dr.: Findlay' promised to introduce an, amendment to tho libe.l law, and it is understood tho measure will bo ready for submission if the: House, -will permit l its' addition 'to the list. • 'A consolidating and amending bill, in regard to harbour legislation,) was intro- . duced; last 'session; and in this con- > nectiou the desiro of chambers of cbm.morce .to retain ' representation on har- , bpur, boards ■ should, be remembered. The , Primo Minister does not montion any measure to municipalise .gas-works,, notwithstaiiding , the remarks'of the present Mayor of Welling-, . ton.on this subject. during his candidature speeches. Speaking on February 8, Sir Jos- . eph W ; ard said' ho would suggest "that .there' ' saould be State market gardens in "each of the. four centres,: where should; be employed the married .prisoners and others in gaol; j ~'; . .crediting them .with tho value of their worl< - end devoting half their - earnings to the j x • niaintenanco of their wives or , relatives." t The public lias not been told whether ■tho .'Premier intends to. put his suggestion within the four corners of mi * : Act., The Premier, has also'promised ,to ask ■tho Government to' set aside a- special£2oo,ooo a year for five years for expenditure oil roads, and. to , map out in advance the ■roads on which it should be expended annu- ,, v ally.. What will'be,tho^fate of tho:Musi-' J; ,-■:■ cians. _ Bill, which last year. wa3 in Mr. T. \ K-, Sidey's safe-keeping,'and which a few months- ago a conforenco of . musicians at "Wellington amended, and, in its altered form . f-PProi'ed. and handed over to Sir. Sidey for introduction to the Housq? Ifc has been annonne'ed that an amendment to the Dairy Industry Act will bo introduced by the , Hon.'lt. M-iVab, to provide that a landlord, : , vriicro expensive permanent repairs aro required by Govbrnment inspectors, iihall fairly share .the cost between landlord and tenant., . What will tho : Government do with' tho -: case of Mr.' Meiklo?. The Meikle' Commit-: .-■-.teo has lately exhibited a demeanour which . does not. suggest, that they will sit quietly ; .by and. allow' the session to pass without vigorously pushing Mr. MeikloV claims. In Novomber last, when tho'Meikle Bill was stonewalled and rejected b,y .the Lower House the IJriine Minister promised to consult the Judges at tho; March; sitting of the Appeal [ Court as to technical means of giving relief ; to Meikle, and as to a general Criminals' A'ppeal Act. The Meiklo Committee are now ""! ..' awaiting a Ireply from tho Prime Minister | .on this matter-before thoy decide upon a" ; future courso of action. But they" havo j. ; .. . recently strongly protested;that: each month i and each year of delay does additional in- !•" iustico to a man who has been proved "not ! guilty." , • . ' | NATIVE LANDS. Erovision is not made in the Prime Min- ! 1 ister's list for further Native Lands legisj. • lation. Yet last session,' when porsuading [• tho House to pass his "instaimont" Bill, tho f • Natiye Minister said "next, year it-would s be necessary to consolidate all Native Land L; ; 'Acts. They had yet to consider the best I" interests of-the Nativos —how they could bo }. ' settled on their own lands and given equal \ chances with the Europeans. This matter j. ' .must engage attention boforo long." Ho ! also said: "Lot this Bill bo passed for tho present, and noxt year have a large and f - comprehensive measure." Apart from this, ' r it is understood that amondinr; legislation f...' will be necessary to enable lands under Part I of the Act of last session—lands to bo ! leased or sold to Europeans—to be so dealt i. , ; with. It i 3 understood that through a 'technical Haw in the Act no )and,'repprted j ' upon by tho Commission, has yet been vested I in the Maori Land Boards to be utilised for j, . European occupation. Recently the Primo : . Minister dcclarcd that one and throe-quarter

million acres of Native lands would bo available for European occupation at the- end of the present year, so that should tho above rumour bo correct—and the source is a pretty reliable one—amending legislation is no doubt intended. /'But from nrosent indications it seems unlikely that the , Nativo Minister's "comprehensivo measur6" will bo forthcoming;. OTHER MEASURES. As to the Gaming and Lotteries Act, it was thought earlier in the year that somo amendments would bo necessary. Tho Attorhowever, informed a Dominion reporter this week that the Act, as touching. racecourse betting, was now working smoothly, and no proposal was . forward to introduce, any amendments. . The foregoing may be considered a fair summary of tho "probable" and "possible" business of tho coming session, excluding, of course, local and privato Bills. In addition, Parliament will be called upon to decide tho future site and tho probable extent and cost of tho now legislative halls. It is not unlikely the Government will .come forward with proposals, 'l'hc Prime Minister has already oxprossed himself in favour of rebuilding Parliament on the Government House site, but data and. ardeal of information will be required by the Houses before a decision is arrived at. With this question will also be involved that of the future residence of the Governor. . ' Other" important matters' that' will probably come under: review will bo a new railway station at Wellington; tho promised central Mental Hospital, on a sito along the' Main Trunk Line; and the institution of an agricultural museum at Wellington. These matters will entail considerable votes of money. The Premier has several times referred to an impending scheme Of national annuities, and at Te Kniti, as reported yesterday, ho reiterated his intention of bringing down a measliro to deal with this matter. TRADITION.

" Tradition," says Dr.' 'Johnson, "is a | matter which, if it-once falls., cannot possibly be;rekindled." Members ( of Parliament and-those' associated with the two Houses will realise the' truth of this ill tho strangeness and novelty of the now premises, and in the absence of many of the 1 old associations that had grown up with the ancient buildings now in ruins. But if new traditions.cannot bo laid in temporary premises, in the.present instance /there will bo scope in,one, or two directions for anecdotes for future legislators; and one fruitful source .will bo tho long corrugated-iron covered bridge that spans the gap between Government House and the eaunt walls of tho Parliamentary Library. Rumour has it that certain venerable members of each House, fond, of a comfortable chair and an interesting volume of statistics 'in the library, havo arranged to bei "clocked" in' a trial run on the bridge , to ascertain, for suro, whether the > distance can be sprinted between the first ding of the division bell and tho locking of the Chamber doors 1 , ' PARLIAMENT'S QUARTERS. ' ' LOCATION OF MINISTERS. .

Ministers sessional quarters 'in the Government ' House are now practically ready for' occupation. ' A peep into the warmlycarpoted': and" comfortably furnished. rooms suggests ' that . the ; temporary arrangements will . not' bo altogether uncongenial. Tho Primo Minister, will occupy a suite of threo rooms near the main' entrance, and handy to tho House of Representatives, tlie centre one .of the three being also. for Cabinetmeetings'. Tho .Hon. Dr. Findlay has- secured quarters; in one.corner of tho building .on the first floor, and the Hon. J, "Jl'Gowan a room in the other corner—tho Sydney Street sidel Tho Hon. W. HallJones will bo located; on the same floor near the head :of the staircase. The other Ministers are-variously, placed over the building. ' In -tlio majority of cases an adjoining room has been secured for private secretaries. .The chief officials of both houses havo their brooms in ordor, their books and papers at hand, and are ready for tho fray.

The' carpenters are still working in tho Assembly; Chambers. I It-' has. not yet boen_ decided : what accommodation will bo provided on the floor tho Houses for members' files;, correspondence, aud papers, but there will bo no desks. Hansard reporters are to be located immediately to the right of • tho j Speaker, and near to them ;is desk accommodation for Ministers' secretaries and undor-secrotaries, departmental officials having a bench immediately at, the rear again. Beyond Hansard will come : tlio ladies' gallery and beyond that again tho Speaker's gallery, though tho accommodation in ' each division is very limited/ Representatives of the Pross bavo been'assigned a placo at tho extreme end of tho room, immediately opposite Mr. Speaker's chair. Olio advantage of this arrangement will bo that access will bo easy, but, on tho other-hand, it is extremely questionable if the situation w'ill bo _ suitablo for purposes of reporting. Ministerial utterances will havo to be, heard .across the House, and over the heads of tho members, and tho acoustic properties of the room, have yot to be tested. The original intention was to place tho Press where the ladies' gallery lias been arranged, which is about lialf-way down the sido of tho chamber, and a most_ desirable situation for following the proceedings. A good deal of' committee work will probably be transacted in tho old Parliamentary Buildings, thirteen rooms • having been cleaned up and rendered fit. for occupation there. .