END OF THE SESSION NEAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2581, 1 October 1915, Page 4

END OF THE SESSION NEAR

THE EXTRA FREIGHT INCREASED LOCAL PRICE Several questions regarding the price of butter were asked in. the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Sir. George Hunter said that he had just received a telegram from the secretary of the Waipukurau Dairy Factory protesting against tho imposition of an' extra freight of 9d. per box on butter, Mr. Hunter hoped that the Prime Minister would give an assurance to the House that he would take steps to obtain- a reduction of, this charge.' Tho Prime Minister said that unfortunately :the fixing of the freight rates was not in .his hands. All the insulated space in tho ships trading to,this country had been commandeered by. the Imperial Board of Trade, and the Board of Trade were simply charging sufficient freight to got back the expenditure they had incurred. Mr. Fletcher: 'l'liey paid too rauch for the space.' . Mi'. Massey said that the Board of Trade had accepted tho Australian freights ruling at the outbreak of war as a standard, and they were now raising the New Zealand freights to the Australian level. He was afraid that ivo -should have to submit to the inevitable, but he had cabled to London a request, that ,the increase be not demanded this iseason.

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey (Primo Minister)' made a statement in tho House of Representatives yesterday regarding the work that had yet to bo done before the end of the session. Two Bills, he said, had just been introduced—tho Friendly Societies' Amendment' Bill and the Education Reserves Amendment Bill. Oil tho order-paper there were tho Alien Enemy Teachers' Bill; the- adjourned debate on amendments of tho Legislative Council to tho Expeditionary Forces Bill; tho Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, dealing with tlio question of water in butter; the Prisons Amendment Bill; the Prisoners' Detention Bill, which was a proper Bill to bo dealt with at about one o'clock in the morning, when tho galleries were empty; the Destitute Persons' Amendment Bill; the. Counties Amendment Bill; the Footwear Regulation Amendment Bill; the Miners' Phthisis Bill, which, judging by Hie hostile reception it had received did not appear to be wanted by the House; tho Mining Amendment Bill i the Coalmines Amendment Bill; tho Local Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill; tho Greymouth Native : Rescrvo Bill, which would not be proceeded with; the Now Zealand Society of Account-, ants' Amendment Bill; and the Juries Amendment Bill, which would not be necessary. There was a small Land Bill, which had"" been dealt with by tho Lands Committed that morning. Ho did not intend to submit anything contentious in this Bill, which specially affected, the Buller and Westlaud districts. There was a "Washing-Up" Bill of onormous proportions, and thero wero still thirty or forty clauses of it to bo drafted. A Commercial Trusts Bill would deal with tho cost of living, and a small Arbitration Bill would deal with the ' alleged victimisation on tho wharves at Greymouth and Auckland. He was preparing to have this question considered by an Appeal Court of Arbitration or by a Magistrate. Therewas a-Native Land Court 1 Bill, not very important. The' West Coast Settlement Reserves Bill would be proceeded with, and there was a small Mining Bill dealing with water-races in Central Otago. Bills yet to be introduced would bo the Public Trusts Bill; the Public Service Superannuation Bill - the Municipal Corpqrations Bill; a Defence Bill of one clauso; a small Bill dealing witli post office matters; a Bill dealing with industrial schools, particularly with the Te Oranga Home, near Christchurch; an' Education Bill dealing with tho conferring of University degrees on men who had missed their examinations through enlistment; and a War Regulations Bill. Ho did not say that thc-so wore all the Bills, [nit as far as -lie could ascertain that was tho ease.

As for the duration of the session, of business' were not transacted more expeditiously than it had been on Wednesday tliey would not get through I'd* four weeks. However, all tho Bills were small ones, and justice .could be done them at tho rate of seveiror eight per day. .Thoy did not deal with any policy questions'. Mr. Mnssey said that an opportunity would be given to members in charge of local Bills to got them through. The, Public Works Statement, and Estimates were ready'and would be submitted on Friday, and he hoped to close SCS3W.U on .Wedussdaj; uesU