THE COMING SESSION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16567, 3 June 1914, Page 12

THE COMING SESSION.

BRIGHTENING UP THE BUILDING, [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Juno 2. Parliament _ House i s being prepared for this session in a way suggesting .'i that the Government lias no hope of ' < using any part of the new edifice fori . several years. Tho floors of the repre-; sentative Chamber are up, some neWi ; ventilating scheme being in process of installation. Last session a supply of I purified air mixed with electncally- ( made ozone was forced into the Cham-! her from conduits almost at the ceiling level. Now the fresh air is appar- | ently to com© through the floor. Legisj lators will at any rate be thankful..tq see their shabby rooms made bright i with paint and paper. Practically, every room in the building has been ; redecorated, which does not. suggest; that the old vice-regal mansion haai reached by many years its limit, of; usefulness. » ,! It was announced some months ag<r" that a special arrangement would b« made with tho contractors for the netf building to complete tho House oil Representatives' meeting place in tinu," for tho 1915'session, but this plan hat been abandoned. In fact it is pretty obvious from a view of the site that it would now be difficult' to do so. CAUCUS. THE ELECTORAL BILL. A caucus of Government member* will take place in Wellington on June L>4, the day before the session, when an outline of tho Ministerial programme will be submitted and the rank and file of tho party will bo sounded on the delicate question of electoral rearrangements. . A draft Bill, prepared by tho Minister in charge of the Electoral Department, Mr Fisher, has been receiving attention from Ministers, who are only unanimous in one thing about it and that is that the Bill is mostly intended to benefit Mr Fisher. Its aim, it is rumoured, w to group the four existing seats in each of the four cities, introducing the preferential vote. "The country seats are to be left alone,. but it is thought that the country reformers are not likely ' to accept any such experiment, especially after the Prime Minister's declaration on the cautious side at Whangarei.