LONGEST SESSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 3 December 1927, Page 7

LONGEST SESSION

PARLIAMENT SETS NEW RECORD '■ 'OVER 102 SITTING DAYS (By Telegraph) (From "The MaiPs" Parliamentary Reporter). ■ WELLINGTON, 2nd Dec. At; to-day'si sitting the present session of Parliament equals the length, in point of number of sitting days, of the longest session in the history of New Zealand. When the House meets tomorrow a "new record will be established. . By members, staff, and Press Gallery the session will be remembered as one of the most' exhausting on record, though 'the average number of hours per sitting day may not be as long as in previous years'. The present session was opened on 23rd June, so that to-day is the 163rd day of its duration, or the 102nd sitting day. Tiie session of 1913, the longest recorded in the journals of the House, occupied a, total of 173 days, oa- 102 sitting days. The introduction of Monday sittings somewhat earlier this year' than in 1913 has resulted in the previous record number of sitting days being equalled in eleven days less than the span of the 1913 session. If the present session may be regarded as the second of the Coates Administration—the first year of his leadership of the House'being looked upon as the continuation of. the "Massey Administration after the-death of the late Prime Minister~r-it is of. interest to recall that the long session of ,1913 was the second of Mr Massey's regime. The following is a table showing the longest sessions since 1875:

Span of Sitting • Session. Days. 1913 .. !...:....<. 173 102 <1927 ... ,;....;.; 163 102 1910 ... 158 98 1877 ... 145 97 1903 ... : 149 95 1907 ... ; 152 92 1920 ... 141 92 1895 ... • 135 86 1876 ... ...:.. 139 85 1924 ... 134 83 1894 ... 126 . 81