POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 295, 7 September 1908, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

SECOND BALLOT BILL. "WORSE THAN BEFORE." The first order of the day on the prool Orded Paper f<pr to -morrow is, "Sccond Ballot v Bill—consideration of report." ThV final discussion on the Bill in the House is being looked forward to with more than usual interest, owing to the importance of the amendments which were made'in committee. Do you think the measure'is improved?" of its prominent opponents was asked. No, was the reply; £f it was a botch before, and it s worse now." This ; member • considered that the new clause forbidding attempts to influence the election during the interval between the two polls . would bo of little real use, because it would not prevent Ministerial or other interference. It would, however cause public interest in the result to diminish more than ever, and thus the number or voters at tho final poll would come down to a minimum. It is likely that there will be a very interesting discussion on the Bill in the • Upper House, but it is not anticipated that tho Government will have any serious difficulty in getting it through that chamber.-'

THE LEGAL PROFESSION. The Law Practitioners Amendment Bill, which met with some sturdy antagonism in tho Council, will perhaps faro even worso when it comes before the House. It is, indeed, asserted in somo quarters that it will bo thrown out. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. Anyone who supposes that our legislators use their splendid library chiefly as a source of light reading should note the statement of the chief librarian (Mr. C. Wilson, M.A.), . that about the usual number of baskets or books were sent out to members'' during the recess, sociological works being in special demand. The library has a "spaco problem" before it. "Tie yearly increase of books is abont 2500," says Mr. Wilson, "and the probabilities aro in favour this number being greatly augmented as the years-go by. Whatever the decision of Parliament may be as to tho sito of the new Parliament Buildings, the provision of much greater accommodation for tho ever-increasing- collection of books and iiewspapers will, -I trust, receive careful consideration." •. Tho principal items of laft year's expenditure on the collection were as follows:—Puchase of booksand periodicals in London, freight, and marino insurance, £458 12s. 3d.;.purchase of American periodicals, £13 13s. lid.; purchase of books and periodicals locally, £138 2s. Id. Recess privileges were granted to 450 persons," and the three thousand books which they borrowed were, for the most part, works of high literary merit. - Tho chief librarian expresses thanks to the High Commissioner and his staff, to the London firms with-which tho library does business, to tha members of the library staff (who had an exceptionally busy timo during tho recess), and to the chairman of the Recess Commit-, teo (Mr. W. Eraser), who devoted much of his private time to supervision of library matters:

A LESSON FROM THE FIRE. "I would again point out," says Mr. Charles Wilson, M.A., Parliamentary. ■ librarian, in his annual report, " that iny recommendation mado last year, and confirmed by the Library Committee—namely, that the wooden doors to tho basement and at the lobby entrance to. tho ground-floor stockroom should be -replaced by iron doors— lias not yet been given effect to. I would, a second time urge that these additional safeguards against fire be provided. No addition has been mado to tho Amount of insurance on the books and printed documents in the library. Tho insurance now stands at £4000.- In last year's report I remarked: .I am,.;of 1 opinion that the lowest insurance on'the-library contents should be from £10,000 to £12,000, and that tho cost of insurance should bo defrayed by tho Government,'and; not be taken, as, are the present premiums, from the library vote of £600, which should, I maintain, be applied solely to tho purchase of books and periodicals.' " LOOKING FOR THE END. As the session advances tho usual speculation as to the date on which the prorogation "will be reached is being indulged in by members, the majority of whom are anxious to got away to their constituencies and begin their election campaigns, particularly as so many- of tho new candidates are already hard atj work. The more optimistic say that tho session may close about tho end of this month or tho first week in October, pothers say the 10th, and others again the 17th or 20th of .next month. It will probably be found that one of the two dates last mentibned will be somewhere near the mark. The session immediately, preceding the last general election, that of 1905, closed on October 31. In 1902, when Sir Joseph Ward was in charge of tho House during tho absence of the late Premier in England, members got away in the first week in October.:THE WORK OF THE SESSION. Tho Order Paper contains a less formid-able-looking programme of work' since it has been cleared of private members' and. local Bills. Twelve Government measures, at various stages of progress, appear on it. Tho Education Amendment Bill still awaits tha conclusion of tho goneral debato on the motion to go into Committee. The Coal Mines Amendment Bill, which represents another attempt to enact an eight hours' bank-to-bank clause, will probably not havo a very easy passage, as_ the West Coast membersaro dissatisfied with it, and would prefer tho moro comprehensive provisions of Mr. Guinness's Bill, which, as already explained in The Dominion, has been killed by tho delay of . the Mines Committee in dealing with it. Sevoral important measures which do,.not appear on the Order Paper are now in tho hands of Select Committees. Tho chief of theso is the Arbitration Bill, -but there aro' also tho Workers' Compensation Bill, the Shearers' Accommodation ' Bill, and tho Friendly Societies Bill. In addition to all , the'above there are still a large number of measures which were promised in tho Governor's Speech, but which have not yot been brought down. Among the most important of theso are Bills to deal , with national annuities, closer settlement extension, shipping and seamen, naval, subsidy, local superannuation, water power leasing, hospitals and charitable aid.-law of libel, secrot commissions, and tho Manawatu railway. The Public Works Statement and Estimates aro expected to appear shortly.