CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10108, 16 October 1917, Page 6

CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

THE END IN SIGHT; j(Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 13. v i Tiie Prime Minister is. still hopeful of closing the session ,by the ciul of the ~. mouth, but Ulurio’gLthc Test'- f«W ’ days »».■,;}i\tubor > of ;’lhnti:ers'.llavb 'cropped tip j vvliicn scciii likably tu ihdkh .tile ia.sk, ho.* has set himself one of ho Sifliul ulll.? 5 --:. culty. Tho usual incentives towards expedition, the shearing and the Can-, hterbury Carnival Week, Lave lost some tof their force during; the war, and of i I'courao tlu\v appeal only to a compara- ■ S'rHv.ely smiijl proportion of the members, j I, On’ the, oilier .riiiindi. thex'p isi,«. .proposal | to sot. up a Purlianientary. Cbiniihttno j to investigate The defence expend!tun?,-1 which could scarcely get to work within the next fortnight, the report of the. Cost of Living. Committee to, be dis- 1 cfassetli. a further .-Loan’'Bill to bo passed through all. its stiigcs, the final touches ; to bo,put to the .pensions Mill., and the j Legislative Council’s;' amendments ' to the Sale of Liquor Bill to, bacomsidered. Here, is? work 1 euolfgh to keep Parliament goings for a month if it were loft to its.ovOhilci.s ureiy .why. ' DEFENCE, EXPENPITL RE. Mr Massey has raised lio objection to tho,jip.PPihtiu.eut, of a ;Parliamcntary Committee to 1 investigate 'the defence expenditure, except the very obvious one,: that 'it would bo'.-able -to do. very little in the dying hours' of the sfession, and' it is quite probable .the idea may bo, carried out in, some other fa,shion. The Dominion, which, recognises ...the need' for. enquiry, .suggests that a /small commission of busiiiess men under the presidency of the chairman of the KlH* ciehej. -Board, if his services are available/ would bring about practical aiicl. perhaps valuable- results. The need for an investigation of ,sonny sort - is, generally recognised.in the.lobbied It; is admitted ’that the. Muu,stef„pi’ Defence has 'done all that one- man. cpiild bo expected to do in this dircctidri\ but he; has had no time to give,'-personal attontioirtto all' the, financial details of lils Bepartment, .and' with the;(rtpe’nclitiuve*S:apKliy, mounting up' to two',’ millions aNmontli, the -representatives of the- .taxpayers are uatuhilly becoming a little anxious about the,'future. THE LIQUOR BILL. , The delay in pushing on, the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill, while ensuring thp acceptance by 'the House of the Coimcills amendment. deferring the operation of the measure from "November 1 to December 1, has given rise, in prohibition, . circles to -.some-, uneasiness concerning the fa to of six o'cloei.Cclosingv It is announced, presumably .with authority, that-tho Govtmumpnt- ..will not ask tho House to accept-, all the other amendments made by the Council, and, it is suggested that an obstinate disagreement between the;.two Chamat ’this stage of' the, session mightresult in the abaudohment . -of the whole measure. ilut ; there- is not the least danger or hope—according, to tho point of view—of this occurring. Possibly there arc ono or two members of the'Hoii.se who would like to reconsider their votes on early' closing, but the general'feeling is that the original decision must go through, aiicl that'.the 'material Tea luxes of the measure must be retained. :