POLITICAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 279, 18 August 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS.

interesting gossip.

THE WORK OF THE SESSION. BILLS TO BE COMPLETED. There is . a feeling abroad -in. Parliamentary'circles that next session tho Legislative Council will' bo temporarily accommodated.in the lobby in tho old Parliamentary jßuildings. This will give more room for tho ;Houso: of Representatives. It will also enable all the Legislative Council officers and Attendants to work together, somo twelve or thirteen rooms being available in .tho old building.' At present the' officers are inconveniently placed upstairs in the Government Houset Tho old lobby is suffering,'just now; the indignity of having to do duty as a carpenter's shop for the builders engaged on the.internal fittings. The grate-fire, in which in the past many an ambitious member has read tliSv bright future, now boils a glue-pot. The hammer and the saw bang and shriek in precincts whose ■ calm environment was once dedicated to the decorous mental recreation oi statesmen;. ELECTIONS IN THE SOUTH. ~lt is not probable, thinks the Hon. R. M'Nab, that a very great deal of interest .Will be displayed in tho far south over the coming elections. To a Dominion representative yesterday lie remarked that • Clutha, Wallace, and Bruce, three Opposition constituencies, ; wero likely to send their sitting members to Parliament again without any contest. No opposing'candidates seemed to bo offering so far. The Taieri seat, however, would bo contested.' Further south there were tho Government constituencies of Mataura, Awarua, and Invercargill, ' which wero apparently not going to. bo contested. For. tho Wallace seat Mr.. Thompson, tho sitting member, would again .fight his opponent of last year; a Government candidate. 1 . , . Yesterday; the Hon, R. M'Nab received a telegram from Mr. T. Mackenzie, M.P., stating that his services were not available for the Wakatipu seat against the veteran "Waki" Fraser. This. is. in reference to a deputation which waited upon tho Minister in the south, asking for Mr. Mackenzje's candidature for. that seat. Mr. Mackenzie's reply, might: bo interpreted to mean that. lie has decided to cast in his lot with the Taieri constituency, from which Mr. D. Reid retires. , ; ' ■ : ' The ■ Minister thinks that a ■ good fight--will take . place for tho Caversham (Duriedin) and the North Duriedin seats. The former is held by Mr. Sidcy, and tho latter by Mr. Barclay. lii South Canterbury moro general interest seemed to bo displayed in tho coming elections,' and, moro candidates were forthcoming. Mr. M'Nab does not expect that much deposition will be shown to tho Hon; T, Y. Duncan (Oarnaru).

A LONG LIST. A " proof " Older Paper, circulated yesterday in the building.places "questions and answers"' as the first business of to-morrow's Parliament.' , A number of small Bills are . theni-set . down for various-stages. .. Parliament,, in tho.words of Mr. Parata, will- require "to get a mo,vp on" to finish its-task-in time for the general elections. There aro" still tho following 27 measures on the Order Paper to be dealt with :—lndustrial .. Arbitration and Conciliation Act Ariiendmciit Bill (consideration of report), Quackory' Prevention Bill (consideration of report), Destitute Persons Act Amendment Bill (to be committed),' Counties Act 1886 Amendment^'Bill (toVbo". committed), .Municipal Corporations Act .1900 Amendment Bill (No. 2) (to bo committed), Public Works Amendment Bill (to be committed), Local Authorities Indemnity Bill (to bo committed), New Zealand Society of Accountants Bill (consideration of amendments of Legislative Council), Civil Sorvice -.Amendment Bill (to be committed), Pawnbrokers' Charges. Bill (to be committed), Maori Land Lkws-..' Amendment Bill (second, reading), Friendly ■ Societies Consolidation Bill (second reading), Taupo No. 2 Block! Bill (second reading), Public Holidays Bill (second reading), ...Town Boards Amendment Bill (second reading), Government Advances to Workers Bill : - (second reading), -Inspection of Machinery Amendment - Bill (second reading), Police Offences Amendment Bill . (second reading),' Second Ballot Bill (second reading),' Inferior, Courts Procedure Bill (second reading), Acts Interpretation Amendment Bill, (second reading), Mining .Amendment Bill (second, reading pro forma). Local Harbour Board Loan Bill' (consideration of 'report), Christchurch City Sanitation'; Empowering Bill (consideration of report), Oamaru Town Hall and Gasworks Sites and Recreation Reserves Bill (to be committed), . Oamaru Harbour Boa.rd Loan, Bill (to bo committed), Christchurch City. Betterment Bill (to be committed), Al-teration-of Time Bill (second reading).

In addition, if tho statements contained in the Governor's speech aro to be fulfilled, several important measures have yet to be submitted. ■ The principal of those aro:— Water Conservation proposals. National Annuities, Native Township Leases, Local Body Superannuation, Post Audit, Public Service Classification and Superannuation - Amendment, New Land Settlement proposals, Old Ago Pensions Act Amendment, _ Model Bylaws, Manawatu Railway Enabling Legislation, . Slaughtering and Lispection Act Amendment, and new Libel Law. This is a pretty '.formidable- list, -and members will require to get right down to solid work. The Estimated also require to ,be completed, and'in the near future the Public Works Statement and. Estimates will bo upon the House. , ' -. Important matters outside of regular Parliamentary work that have yet to be settled at-e: —The'appointment of a High Commissioner, the ; preparation of a report on the Parliamentary Building scheme,' and - tho Woodward- Street matter.