PARLIAMENT TO OPEN TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 233, 28 June 1922, Page 4

PARLIAMENT TO OPEN TO-DAY

THE CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON BUSINESS FOR THE WEEK PROSPECTS AND PARTIES The last session of the present New Zealand Parliament is to be opened today. Tho Governor-General (Lord Jellicoc) will perform the ceremony in accordance with the usual forms. He is due to reach tho Parliamentary Buildings at 2.30 p.m. The Speech that ho will read is probably rather shorter than usual. It will lay stress upon the need for economy in the Public Service and will indicate, at the same time, that Alinisters have enough legislation in hand to keep members busy during the next few months. The business in the House of Representatives to-day will be almost entirely formal. Afotions relating to deceased members of the Legislature probably will be placed' before the House to-morrow. If that is so,- an Imprest Supply Bill will be brought clown on Friday and will have to pass all stages at the sitting. since it must become law before banking hours on Saturday if the Civil servants are to receive their salaries without delay. The existing authority for the expenditure of money on tho services of the State does not extend beyond the end of the mouth. ADDRESS-1 N-REPLY. The debate on the Address-in-Reply will be opened next week. Air. D. . Jones (Kaiapoi), the chairman of the Meat Producers Board, is to open it, and his motion will be seconded by Air. Clutha Afackenzie (Auckland East). Tlis debate is likely to bo a lengthy one. An election session is always a talking session. Afembers ' naturally wish to get their opinions before their constituents, and the approach of an election has usually a stimulating effect upon party fighting. The disorganised condition of the groups occupying the Opposition benches is not expected to ..make for political peace this session. DRAFT TARIFF TREATY. The draft tariff treaty between New Zealand and Australia will not come before the House immediately. It will require to be introduced simultaneously in tho New Zealand Parliament and the Federal Parliament, and a date has not yet been fixed. Presumably the modified duties will com? into operation as soon as the agreement is presented to the Parliaments, subject to later adjustment in the event of the Legislatures not accepting all the proposals. THE OPPOSITION. The withdrawal of Mr. (Dunedin Central) from the official Opposition. and the addition of Air. Munro (Dunedin North) to tJie Labour Party will not disturb Air. Wilford in possession of the seat sacred to the Leader of the Opposition, but the changes have set members wondering what will be the position after tho general election at the end of the year. The disorganised Liberal and Independent groups are threatened by the compact Labour Party. Mr. Holland and his followers number nine. Mr. Wilford has never disclosed the strength of his party, but it does not oppgir that ho can count more than a dozen heads at a caucus of his party. Some of the detached Liberals doubtless will go to his support if his possession cf the front benches were seriously challenged, but apparently they are not in the least willing to fall into line behind him at' present. THE OPPOSITION SPLIT MR. WILFORD AND MR. STATHAM The failure of the United LiberalLabour Party to remain united has aroused considerable interest in political circles. The announcement of the split between Air. Wilford and Air. Statham did not come as a surprise, for the rumours of friction between Mr. Wilford and his new lieutenant had been persistent and circumstantial. Members of the House are wondering now what further shuffles are to be made on the disordered Opposition benches. Presumably Air. Statham frill leave tho seat that he occupied beside Air. Wilford, and will return to a place among the Independents. The split between Air. Wilford and Mr. Statham, according to Parliamentary gossip, came on the question of policy. Air. Statham’s Progressive Liberal and Aloderato Labour Party had a policy of a fairly advanced nature. When he agreed to link his fortunes with those of Mr. Wilford under the title of the United Liberal-Labour Party, it was anticipated that a joint-policy would subsequently be evolved. Air. Wilford and Air. Statham took tffe platform together at Petene soon after the end of last session, and the former declared then that the programme of tho new party would be placed before tiie public three weeks later. Months have elapsed, and the policy is still known to nobody, or at any rate to Mr. Wilford alone. The announcement of the split was made by Air. Wilford, who stated that he and Mr. Statham were unable to sec eye to oye, but had parted friends. When Mr. Statham was approached by a reporter yesterday ho said that he had nothing to add at present to this statement. He indicated that he remained firmly attached to the political principals he had already laid down. The reporter gathered that Air. "Statham did not. Wink that his continued association with the present official Opposition would have advanced those principles.