THE SESSION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1912, Page 8

THE SESSION

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT POSSIBLE LEGISLATION. ; At 2.30 to-morrow afternoon the Massey Government will meet the Houße for the first time since it defeated the Mackenzie Government three weeks ago. iThe interval has been spent by the new Administration in framing its policy, fant it is not likely that that policy will ■be declared for a few days. To-morrow is 'jthe last day of the month, and the first duty of the Government will be to pass an Imprest Supply Bill. "Supply" has always been regarded, and is constitutionally the opportunity given to the representatives to seek redress of grievances. Members will probably avail themselves of the chance of discussing .various matters. Answers to questions given before the adjournment will also be circulated. Asked, by a Post representative as to what progress had been made in the preparation of measures for discussion during the session, the Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) said that when ihe House met the following Bills, among others, would be given notice of :—: — Agricultural and Pastoral Societies 'Act Amendment. . Births and Deaths Registration Act 'Amendment. . - * Civil Service Act Amendment. New Zealand University Act Amendment. Pharmacy Act Amendment. Shipping and Seamen Act Amendment. State Fire Insurance Act Amendment. The Civil Service Act Amendment Bill will probably contain the chief features of the Hon. A. L. Herdman's Bill placing the service under the control of an independent board. The Pharmacy Bill, it is understood, will further restrict the sale of poisons. In addition it is understood that the t Government will later bring down a Bill to reform the Legislative Council by making it elective. A Defence Act Amendment Bill is also in course of preparation. The -.Minister- of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) has already stated, that the principle of' the Act is not to be departed from. The amendments are designed to enable the Act to be carried into effect more efficiently than at present. ■ LAND LEGISLATION. - The Prime Minister has already made it clear that he will bring down a Land Bill this session, but that it will not contain all the essentials that the Government contemplates. That- would entail a measure of work which would effectually preclude consideration of other matters of considerable importance. In view of the Prime Minister's statement on the subject, it is interesting to refer to what he said on the Want-of-confi-dence motion moved by' himself during the short session in February to the Addrese-iri-Reply. In the course of his speech he expressed himself as distinctly opposed to " free trade " in Native lands. "Not one member of this party," he said, "ha* ever advocated or thought of such a, thing, and I now from my place in the House give tie statement an unqualified contradiction. We want to give the Native owner a title to the land which he occupies. If he has more than he ie able to make uee of, then the surplus should be" utilised ; and, further, we desire to see in such cases that he gets a good and a fair price for it, and that when sold it shall be disposed of in h'mited areas." Turning from Native to Crown and other l&jids, he said : — "There must be more land settlement than has been the case in the past year. ( We must make the conditions of life easier for the settler. We must discriminate between the man who uses his land properly and the man who does not. ... It is well known to every settler that the more be improves his land the higher goes hie unimproved value. . . . That is one of the most important pointe to bo dealt with." It is expected that the proposed Bill will also make provision for encouraging small, farming near the large centre. OTHER LEGISLATION. Treasures affecting the. Labour laws wilf also be introduced— in fac-t, the Government speakers have predicted that Labour will derive a larger degree of solace from its legislation than it has enjoyed previously, but so far no details have been vouchsafed. Sir. Massey has also intimated that he has a scheme ol local government to bring forward. That may be so, but it is 'not considered likely that any serious attempt will be made to put a Local Government Bill through this session. In the same category is Legislative Council reform. It is rumoured that" several appointments to the Council ate under confiideranon It is generally admitted that the session will be chiefly devoted to discussion, as is usual in the case of the first session of- a Parliament. The Government will giadually develop its policy, 'put Hb chief features before the House and the public, and rely on the second ■ session to put into concrete form the proposals that form the integral part of its legislative programme. RACING PERMITS. As already indicated at recent deputations, a private member will bring in a, Bill redistributing racing permits by giving to country clubs a larger share than they at present enjoy of the 260 racing days' granted by Statute. The LJovernment has promised its sympathetic support, but the prospects of its passage are regarded as doubtful. Apart from the forms of the House, which give only the slightest chance to a Bill introduced by 'a private member, it is a matter" of general knowledge that a big section of members is quit;e content to leaving racing where it is. LICENSING. The same remarks apply to licensing. Mr. A. S. Malcolm (Clutha) will introdue© a Bill abolishing the three-fifthe majority and substituting voting on a 55-45 per cent, basis in licensing polls. The Bill may, if it reaches its second reading, provoke an interesting dMscussion, but it is very doubtful if it will get any further thie session.

A deputation representing small grazing runholderc of Mangamahu, introduced by Mr. E. Newman, M.P., waited on the Prime Minister this afternoon. They represented that they had been unjustly dealt with by the passing of the Land Amendment Act, 1910, and they asked that the Government should give them right of purchase, on terms to be arranged, or repeal the section of the Act A whkh they complainet}- The Prime Minister said he had referred the matter 1 io the Crown Law Officers, and hoped & deal with it in the Land Bill to be ntroduced into the House of Representa--ives this session. At a meeting of the Thorndon Branch of it up Amalgamated Society of Railway Hervunts yesterday, it Was resolved to vote £10 from th« funds and to circulate subscription lists among members to assist tbe strikers at Waihi and tho men locked out at Reefton. The meeting, which was a large one, was unanimous, the feeling., being that while they did not •wish to associate themselves in any way with the causes that- had led to the deadlock, they felt that as unionists they should support their ci»uide&-fisan^lly. v