PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3122, 28 June 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

ADJOURNMENT IMPROBABLE LEGISLATION IN PROSPECT Now that the Ministers have returned from their trip abroad, it is accepted as probable that there will bo no adjournment of tho House as seemed likely a few weeks" ago. After the formal proceedings of tho opening to-day, and the Imprest Supply Bill on the following day, the Houso will go on at once v with the debato on tho beginning on Tuesday of next week. Tho members of tho Ministry will have to work very hard to be in readiness with matter for .the House as soon as tho Addrcss-in-Reply debato is over, but.it is the opinion of Mr. Massoy that it would not. be a fair proposal to niako to members that they should go homo for a time while the Government made ready for their business, ■> which, in the ordinary course, would havo been prepared long ago. Cabinet has not yet considered the six o'clock closing question, and may not do so for a' littlo time. It is admitted by. the Ministers,' as by every other experienced member of the House, that any legislation on tho liquor question can have no chance of success unless it is presented as a Government measure. Probably the decision of the Government will bo to give a Bill on tho subjectto a member of the Government, allowing ' the House to take a division on it, and allowing individual Ministers to vote on the measure according to their individual opinions. It is not at all- likely that anything less than this will bo done. . Tho Taxing Bill will bo the most interesting measure to como before the House apart from tho Liquor Bill. Sir Joseph Ward-hinted in a speech yesterday that he would bo looking for moro revenue this year, but it is. not certain that tho increases in the taxation will bo so heavy as they wero last year, although it is almost certain that the now, loan will be. for an amount equal to that of last year. Only one prediction can now be made with' any certainty about the taxing proposals,, and this is ' that they will not include the repeal of the excess profits tax. Tho' Defence Minister, almost for. tho first time since he has been a member of the Government, has not an important Bill to present to tho House this year. The only possibility in sight is an amondiug Pensions'Bill, and it is only a possibility. It-, was ' thought , that an amendment of tho Military Service Act to provido for compulsory homo service, as well as compulsory service in the Expeditionary Force, might be necessary, but that amendment is not likely now to appear. Men will be urgently heeded .for home service presently, but it would bo a matter of the greatest difficulty and an extremely odious task for the Government to draft men into industry to work for the .profit of privato individuals. Tho proposal is -so altogether unattractive that it is sure to bo dropped. The home service problem has had the consideration of tho Defence Minister for some time, and it is likely tjiat it will in tho end be dealt with in some other way, different from the obvious one of drafting men into industry as an alternative to service in the Army.

There will be no legislation arising out of the visit of our Ministers to England. It may be that the British Government,will have to pass legislation as the result of the decisions, of the War Cabinet, but not the. Dominions Governments. Very soon . after tho . House assembles the Prime Minister and his colleague on the mission to England will address the House on the work done by them in Britain.