THE COMING SESSION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue XXXXXI, 14 June 1920, Page 7

THE COMING SESSION

SOME OF THE BUSINESS.

(By Telegraph—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, June 14. The first full Cabinet meeting held for some considerable time will take place to-day. One of the matters to be considered will, be the death sentence of the murderer Dennis Gunn. A petition has been presented for the reprieve of Gunn. Nothing has yet been done by the Prime Minister about the appointment of another Minister. In the course of a few days Sir William Fraser will be retiring from the Ministry, and this will leave a portfolio^to be allocated. \No satisfactory placing of the Defence portfolio has yet been, fixed, for although Mr Coates is acting he has let it be known that he does not consider he can do justice to the big portfolio of Public Works and Defence as well. The appointment of a new Minister may not be made at once, but it is generally understood that it will have to be made before the session is far advanced. The presidency of the Board of Trade is being taken over by the Hon. Mr Lee this week, probably to-day. The Prime Minister may possibly be concerned with the proposal already announced for the reconstruction of the Board, but he will no longer be its president. The coming session is generally expected to last from five to six months: Nearly every Department is in need of an amending Bill.. There is practically certain to be an Education Bill, which is always a difficult measure to pilot through in reasonable time. The Railways Amendment Bill is also expected, and there wil] be an important Lainl Bill to settle many matters which Tiave created difficulties if£ administration. The most difficult of all will he the Finance Bill, it being generally understood that Mr Massey will endeavor "to remove some of the inequalities 5n taxation, though he is unlikely to he able to drop any revenue. The relief given in some directions may have to be compensated in others. Mr Massey has agreed to receive another deputation from the Post and Telegraph Conference, which will probably wait upon him to-day. The Minister of Education is having regulations prepared io provide for the payment of travelling bursaries to primary school teachers, and for the present the bursaries will only be four per cent. It is hoped that the innova- I tion will ultimately lead- to am inter-! change of teachers between the Homeland, Canada. Australia, and perhaps the United States and "New Zealand j