SESSION POSTPONED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18297, 13 January 1923, Page 8

SESSION POSTPONED.

DATE NOT YET FIXED; WESTERN MAORI INVOLVED, ■ PETITIONS CAUSE DELAY. [BY" TELEGRAPH. — ASSOCIATION.] ; ; WELLINGTON. Friday. Asked to-day whether the date of the opening of Parliament had yet been definitely decided ;upon, Mr. Massey replied; "No, we must await the result of three or. four election petitions before we can fix dates." Three members of the Cabinet, the Hon. C. J. Parr, the Hon. E. P. Lee, and Sir Maui Pomare are concerned in the election petitions, Mr. Lee as a petitioner, while the return of Mr. Parr and Sir Maui Pomare is challenged by petition. •' . ■ .■■<■• The report that 1 Mr. W. T. Jennings is petitioning against Mr. J. C. Rolleston's return for Waitomo is now, contradicted. It had been understood that Parliament would probably meet on February 14 for the short session to test the strength of the parties, but if the election petitions are not decided prior to that date it is likely that Parliament will not bo summoned until a later date. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr., T. M. .Wilford, returned to Wellington from Rotorua this afternoon. Mr. Wilford stated 'that the date for the meeting of Liberal members had not yet been dofinitely settled. If the opening of Parliament were held over because of the election petitions, the meeting might be correspondingly delayed. yV. Until the. party had met, he had nothing to say about the political situation.

EFFECT OF PROCLAMATION.

LATER DATE THAN EXPECTED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. A proclamation has been issued further proroguing Parliament from January 15 to February 12. The effect of this action is to postpone the assembly of Parliament- to a later date than was proposed by the Prime Minister, when he announced ' at the beginning of the month that Parliament would meet on February 14 or 15.