THE COMING SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17889, 17 September 1921, Page 8

THE COMING SESSION.

MEMBERS ASSEMBLING., DISCUSSION -IN a LOBBIES. HEAVY PROGRAMME AHEAD. TBT ISLBQBAPH.— COBBSSPOKDBST.] WELMNGTON. Friday Members of Parliament are reaching Wellington in very good time for the session, which opens on Thursday next. It is possible, of course, that their early arrival is not altogether unconnected with the football match. Members from various parts of the country were to be in the Parliamentary buildings 'to-day, ' arid others are to arrive to-morrow. The prospects of the session are already being discussed in the lobbies. The proposals embodied in the Tariff Bill will not be known to members until the Bill is introduced, and the new scale of duties is authorised. Members are anticipating a Bill that will provide material for a vast amount of discussion, and few of them are optimistic enough to believe that the work of the session can be completed before Christmas.

The late start of the session is going to cause much inconvenience to many of New Zealand'B legislators, and may nave the effect of providing support for the suggestion that an arrangement should be devised to prevent domestic legislation being delayed by Imperial conferences which are likely to be held at least every second year in the future. This is one of the matters that members axe discussing. . The fate of the Racing Commission's report is another topic of great interest to members. It appears that practically ' every member of the House can find in. the report material for both praise and 1 protest. Indications are that the report will fail to secure the approval of the House in its original form, but that an i effort will be made by the contending parties to use the report as a basis of a settlement. The mere rejection of the commission's recommendations would leave the House still facing the demand of important districts for a fair share of totalisator permits. The Highways Bill, which follows \ closely the lines of the. policy statement recently made by the Minister for Public Works, is ready for presentation to the House. This Bill is expected to be debated very keenly. Members appear to be agreed that provision r ought to be , made for the construction and mainten- , ance of arterial roads, but they are by . no means agreed about the details of the scheme. Lobby discussion indicates that if the Minister listens to all suggestions that will be made to him in the House, he will be in danger of overloading the . scheme to the breaking point, but Mr. , Coates is not likely to be turned from his intention of concentrating attention first on a limited number of national highways.