A BUSY SESSION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 10, 22 December 1933, Page 7

A BUSY SESSION

PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS Compliments Exchanged TRIBUTE TO MR. COATES >By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 22. The third session of the twentyfourth Parliament concludes at 12.50 p.m. to-day with the usual valedictory speeches. Compared with the momentous meetings of Parliament in recent years the session just concluded was comparatively uneventful, but a very large number of bills were passed. During the session the House met on 57 days and sat for 382 hours 13 minutes, representing a daily average of six hours 42 minutes. The House of Representatives met at 11 this morning to receive the appropriation Bill back from the Legislative Council and immediately adjourned to enable Mr. Speaker to wait upon Lord Blcclisloe to received the Royal assent to the bill. The House resumed at 11.45, when Mr. Speaker formally announced that the Royal assent had been given. (Speaking on the motion to adjourn the Rt. Hon. G. IV. Forbes said that members had had a particularly busy session in which an amount of solid work had been done that would compare favourably with the efforts of any other institution or business organisation in the country. The session had been completed with the best feeling among members that he could remember. In spite of divergent views nn many subjects there had been no element of bitterness. Mr. Forbes referred to tin* gap left in the House’s ranks bv ‘ ' death of the late Leader of the C lion, Mr.

Holland, whose passing 1 ■ I been so deeply regretted by members. He also paid' tribute to Mr. M. J. Savage, stating that in the short time Mr. Savage had held office as Leader of the Opposition he had earned the respect of every member of the House. “The bulk of the. session’s work,” Mr. Forbes said, “has fallen on my colleague, the Minister of Finance, who has come through a particularly trying period with no loss of prestige and with every good humour.”

In conclusion the Prime Minister paid tribute of Mr. Speaker, the chairman of committees and officers of the House, and extended the season’s greetings to all members. Mr. P. Fraser, deputy leader of the Opposition, said he joined in the tributes paid by Mr. Forbes and also in wishing members a very good NewYear, which he hoped would be shared by the whole country. There was no doubt that the session just concluded had been a heavy one and in regard to the number of bills passed it must have established something like a record for the. time occupied. In regard to quality • —the present was not? the time to refer to that.