THE SESSION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 8

THE SESSION

MEMBERS REACHING WELLINGTON SOME PRELIMINARY GOSSIP THE BIG BILLS Mzmbers of Parliament are reaching Wellington in very good time for the session that is to begin on Thursday next. It is possible, of course, that their early arrival is not altogether, unconnected with the football match. Members from various parts of the country were to 'be met in the Parliamentary Buildings yesterday, and others are to arriye to-day. The prospects of the session are already being discussed in the lobbies.

The proposals embodied in the Tariff Bill will not b.« known to members of Parliament until the Bill is introduced and the new scale of duties is author*ised.. Members are anticipating a Bill that will provide material for a vast amount of discussion, and few of them are optimistic enough to believe that ths work of the session can be completed this side of Christmas. The late start of the session is going to cause much inconvenience to many of New Zealand a legislators, and may have the effect of providing support for the suggestion that an arrangement shall bs devised to prevent domestic legislation being delayed by Imperial Conferences, which are likely to be held at least every second year in the future. This is one of the matters that members are discussing. ~ The fate of the Racing Commissions report is another topic of great interest to members. It appears that practically every inember of tho House cru find in.’ tli© report material for both praise and protest. Indications are that th© report will fail to svxmre the approval of tho House in its original form, but that en effort will be made 'by the contending parties to use 'he report as a basis of a settlement. The mere rejection of the commission’s recommendations would leave the House still facing the just demand of important and influential districts foi; a fair share of totalizator perm, rh'e Highways Bill, which follows closeIv the lines of the policy statement .recently made by ths Minister of Public Works, is ready for presentation to the House. This Bill is expected to be debated very keenly. Members are agreed that provision ought to be made for the construction and maintenance of arterial roads, but they are by no means about the details of the scheme. Lobby discussion indicates that if the Minister listens to all the suggestions that will he made to him in the House he will be in danger of overloading the scheme tc, the breaking-point. But Mr. Coates is not likely to bo turned from his intention of concentrating attention first on a limited number of national Inga-’ wavs. , The Address-in-Reply in the House or Representatives is to bo moved by the new member for Patea (Mr.' Dickson), and seconded by the member for Temuka (Mr. Burnett). Ths mover and seconder of the Address-jii-Reply in the Legislative Council will lie the Hon. J. P. Campbell and the Hon. W. H. M'lntyre, two of the recently appointed Councillors.