THE RECORD SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15483, 15 December 1913, Page 8

THE RECORD SESSION.

NOT YET OVER. LIKELY TO FINISH TODAY. [BY THJSGKArn.— COBRESPONDEXT.] Wellington', Sunday. Parliament after all did not succeed in, its effort to bring the session to a close last night. The House had another long sitting on Friday night, rising at 3.45 a.m. on Saturday, owing principally to the protracted debate on tho Labour Disputes In-' vestigation Bill. The progress made until that time was less than was anticipated, and the prospects of concluding by the end of the week had diminished considerably. Yesterday's sitting began at 11 a.m., and as tho afternoon wore on it was seen that there was no chance of disposing of the remaining business on the Order Paper before midnight. The inevitable was then accepted, and tho necessity for a further sitting on Monday having become evident tho. House took matters easily last ovening, and rose at 10 p.m. until 11 a.m. tomorrow. . Tho principal business remaining is the" consideration of the Supplementary Estimatos, the passing of tho Appropriation Rill, and tho transaction of some small items of business, of which the most important is the motor-'bus clause in the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill, which is at present in dispute between tho two Houses. This particular clause is to bo tho subject of another conference tomorrow. It is expected that the remaining business of the session will bo disposed of unless something unforeseen crops up, by the end of to-morrow afternoon's sitting or early in the evening. Tho present session will exceed all provious records for length by at least a fortnight. Tho Hansard record will oxeced previous records for length by somo five hundred pages at least, and probably by a good deal more. The previous longest session was that of 1910. when the House mot on Juno 28 and closed on December 3. Prior to that tho longest session was that of 1907, which extended from Juno 27 until November 25. Tho three longest sessions have thus all been "middle" sessions of Parliament. The shortest session on record was tho first session of 1906, when tho Hall-Jones Ministry met Parliament after tho death of tho late Mr. R. J. Seddon. This session consisted of three sittings, commencing on June 27 and ending on June 29. Members of all parties admit frankly that they are very glad that the session is about to end. Many of them arc desperately tired of the tide of talk that has rolled for nearly six months past, and aro exceedingly anxious to get away to their homes. Government members declare themselves well pleased with the result of their labours for the session, for tho Statute Rook for 1913 will be an abnormally heavy one, practically the whole of the Government's programme having been put through. This is felt to be a distinct triumph for the Reform Party, in face of tho amont of time-wasting and obstruction in which the Opposition has indulged.