HOW LONG?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1585, 31 October 1912, Page 8

HOW LONG?

MEMBERS ANXIOUS TO GET HOME. DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW. / Mr. J. B. HIKE (Stratford), chairman 'of the Public Accounts Committee, moved that ten days' extension of time he granted to tho Public Accounts Committee in which to report upon the State Guaranteed Advances. He explained that tho committee was already four or five dnrs ove.vduo, and ten days in addition

would mean an extension until next Tuesday. Mr. \Y. 1). S. -MACDUXAI.D (Bay of Plenty) asked the Prime Minister how long members were going to lie asked to slay ill Wellington. lie thought it was time for the I'rimo Minis'ci' to disband nil Select Committees in order that the House might sit: in the moniiiig-% Mi'. Massey: I thank the honourable member for his suggestion. Mr. 0. W. IIUSSIiLL (Avon) slid lie did not sco any reason why, without unduly straining member-?, they should not bo away from Wellington by Friday or Saturday of this -week. Thero was a strong feeling among members of both aides of the Houso that the sossion should be wound up at once, and if the Prime Minister would make a clearance of tho Order Paper and give tho House an indication of tlio minimum of work which would bo required, in his (Mr. Russell's) opinion, the House would settlo down to work and allow the Government to carry through tlio whole of the programme. Mr. L. 51. ISITT (Christchureh North) said that if late nights were to continue it would l)e impossible without straining members to hold morning sittings, and lie would protest against any such proposal. He was as anxious as anybody to get away, but lie did not want to prejudice tlio chance of legislation in which he was interested. There was the Barmaids Bill, for instance. He was willing to stay another week to sec that through. Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) asked what new Bills wero coming down this sossion, and which of the Bills oil the Order Paper would bo proceeded with this session. .Since the Prime Minister made his announcement two or thrco Bills had been added to the Order Paper. He suggested that the Order Paper should bo cleared, and then tlio Opposition would assist tho Government in getting tho business through. As the Order Paper stood now it was impossible for members to say when they would get through. Mr. H. G. ELL (ChristchuTch South) said ho hoped the Prime Minister would not drop those Bills which'tvere before the labour Bills Committee.

Labour' Legislation. Mr. W. A, VEITCH (Wanganui) said Labour members were prepared to stay in Wellington for a month or three months to put legislation through which jvas. going to be of any good to the people of New Zealand. .Labour members, would resorvo. their" right to discuss fully and freely all matters before the House. They would not obstruct business, but there were Bills before the Labour Bills Committee which ought to bo dealt with this session. He believed it would be advisable oven at this late hour of the session to introduce a measure to niter tho constitution of tho Arbitration Court. Ho reminded the Prime Minister that the House had been promised an opportunity of discussing the cost of living report. The Hon. R, M'KENZIE (Motueka) said lie had never, been ono of those who thought there was anything to bo gained by this rush of business at the end of the year, and he protested strongly against tho late hours which had been kept this session. The House should never sit later than 12.30,. and if necessary the session l should bo. extended three or four : days' in order to avoid lato sittings. "» ' • ■ Mr. W. D. S. MACDONALD said ho wished, to protest' against' - the' remarks made by the member for Wanganui. He knew of honourable members who had been away from the House for days and weeks this session, whereas ho himself had only been away one day. Theso members now got. up to dictate to the House, and to say that, they were in no hurry to get away. He was not going to ask the Prime Minister to throw over any necessary legislation, but country members were very anxious to got away. They had been in Wellington practically tho wliolo of the year.'

Mr. G. W. FORBES (Hurtmui) said it was all very well for the -member for Wanganui, who could "slip" home very easily, but there were other members who had been months away from their business, and. they; were busy men. They had other occupations besides being members of. Parliament; they were not all professional politicians. Coming to tho House now and then might be a pleasant recreation' to members living in Wellington, and it Ivas all very well for'them to say: "We are willing to stay hero for a mont.h."With country member!; the case was different. Sir JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) said it was so easy to cry out against the rushing of business at tho end of tho session, but it could not be avoided in this or any other representative assembly in tho world. Tho present Prime Minister would either have to rush or to drop business. Now members had reached the stage wh,en they got what was known as "the fever," and when members got the fever the Prime Minister would have a mighty hard job to keep a House. Ho himself hail tried his best to avoid late hours, and in spito of the Prime Minister's good intentions to do the same, he, too, had found it impossible to avoid late sittings.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER, . NO RUSH IN PROSPECT. The PRIME MINISTER said that ho was very glad to hear the kindly expressions of opinion by members on tho other, side of the House, and to hear that they were willing to settle down to tho work of the session. His only regret was that the 'time spent in this discussion might havo been better spent in putting somo of the Bills on the order paper through their final stages. It was impossible to say when the session would end. It would come to an end when the business on the Order Paper had been dealt with. Mr. Witty:- There are 65 Bills there! Mr. Massey said that the Government had not the very slightest intention of being unreasonable in its demands on tho House. It was true that there were 65 Bills on the Order Paper, but 45 ox them wore private members' Bills, with which there was no possibility of dealing this session. \ Mr. Russell: Why not strike them off? Mr. Massey said that ho was quite prepared to do so, but that it would not expedite tho business of tho session by a single minute. -Mr. Witty asked what Bills the Government intended to go on with. Mr. Massey said that there were somo Bills not yet on the Order Paper which would have to be dealt with. It was necessary that a Loan Bill should be passed. Unless the Government was empowered to raise a certain amount of money public' works would soon come to an end. Ho proposed to take tho debate on the Loan Bill and on the Public Works Statement on Friday afternoon, and to go on to the Public Works Estimates on Friday evening. An Education Bill was in print, and an amendment to fife Stato Guaranteed Advances Act was required. This last was a short measure, though important. The Finance Minister had informed hiin that lie could not do without it. There would bo a short railways authorisation Bill. Some of the lines had gono up to tho points provided by tho present authorisations, and an Antnorisa" tion Bill must go through or' great inconvenience would result. Thero were only twenty-three Government Bills on the Order Paper, including tho Land Agents Registration Bill (standing in the name of Mr. Witty), which he had promised to take up. A dozen of these Bills were in the committee stage, and could 1m dealt with at that sitting. None of them were of primary importance. Reference had been made to late hours and rush. There had been no rush this session. {Opposition Ohs!) It was all very well for members to say "Oh!" but there had not been a single all-night sitting that session. Probably that was a record. Mr. Forbes: A reasonable Opposition.

Mr. Massey: "No, it is because you have a reasonable Government on the Treasury benches!" At tho end cf the previous sitting, he continued, there were three Bills on tho Order Paper which could, under the Standing Orders, have been put through their final stage. The Government, feeling that.it'would b® nu " fair to ask the House to put theso Bills through at that time, had allowed them to stand over. He was not prepared to say what Bills would not bo proceeded with, but ho understood, that his colleague did not intend to proceed with the Counties Bill. An Opposition member {enthusiastically): Off with his head. Mr. Massev: As to the iim-maids' Bill An hon. member: Drop it! Mr. Mnssoy: I may inform my two friends who are interested in barmaids— tho member for Christchurch North and tin, member for Tnuinariinui—(loud laughter)—that the Barmaids' Bill will be proceeded with. Mr. Glover: That will keep you for two diO's. '■ Mr, Maswy: I shall have to «ut

I with it if ii does, lie went on to state, that the Agricuimral l.iiliomvr*' Aruommodation Biti vuealiii;! uiili the housing accommodation of llaxmill employees) hail been held back for a day or iu'n pending receipt ot' a report from representatives of the Health Department- and Labour Department, who had bpon sent to the Mannwatu district. Possibly some amendments would hove to b'- made in the Kill, but it would be proceeded with. lie was very glad indeed ut the spirit in which members had received the anouneement regarding the session programme, and suggested tint tliev might save a couple of hours I hat day by postponing a discussion on questions until the next opportunity. Mr. Russell and other Oppositionist? indicated that this proposal met with their approval. Mr. Massey said that the Government intended to be reasonable, and did hot intend to keep the House sitting ail hour longer than they could possibly help. A Washing-up Bill would be introduced, but this was merely a formal matter. Mr. Buchanan asked the Prime Minister whether ho would find room for a very small, but very important, Bill to assist country Settlers in obtaining telephones. Mr. Massey said that he would give the nouse an opportunity of dealing with this matter. To Mr. Myer3 tho Prime Minister said that ho proposed to appoint a forenoon for tho discussion of local Bills. Ho was prepared, if the House was willing, to receivo a motion that night that it sit on forenoons for the rest of the session. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER stated, in reply to Mr. 'Witty, that the proposed amendment to the Harbours Act consisted of only three or four clauses. One contained a vital amendment in the constitution of the Otago Harbour Board, and the others dealt with election difficulties which were likely to crop up in April next. The remits from the Harbours Conference were not included in the Bill, and it was not proposed to include anything of a contentious nature. The House would be asked Mr. Fisher added, to put through tho first twelve clauses of the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Bill. These clauses were intended to bring Now Zealand shipping law into line, with Imperial shipping law. Mr. Atmore asked whether an opportunity, would be given the House of discussing tho Cost of Living Commission's report.

Mr. Massey replied that the opportunity would be given if the House desired it. He proposed to set aside the following afternoon (to-day) for discussion of tho report of the Taupo-Totara Company. Another afternoon would be appointed for. a discussion on the report of the Public Accounts Committee. 'J'lie extension of time asked for by tho Public Accounts Committee was granted.NO RESPONSE. Mr. W. A. VEITCH (Wanganui) moved the adjournment of the House to allow of questions being discussed. Mr. Speaker asked whether seven members would stand to support the motion, and for tho first time tliis session there was no response. Not a single member stood. THIRD READINGS. The Kaiapoi Reserve Bill and the East' Coast Native Trust Lands Amendment Bill wero read a third time.