PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18760, 14 July 1924, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

BUSINESS OF SESSION. 1 MORATORIUM AND BUDGET. MOTOR Vj3HICI.ES BILL. GAMING AND LICENSING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Sunday. An indication of the business to come before the Hon so of Representatives as soon as the Address-in-Reply is disposed of was given by the Prime Minister this morning. It is expected that the debate ■will conclude on Wednesday or Thursday. One of the first things to follow will be the Financial Statement.

The Prime Minister says this will come on early, and it will contain, of course, a more detailed statement of the Government's intention in regard to taxation reductions. These, aa Mr. Massey indicated last week, will apply particularly to laud and income tax, tobacco duties and an easing of railway freights and fares.

. The measure which Mr. Massey intends bringing forward first, however, is the Mortgages Final Extension Bill. Debates in the Houso and questions show that members of all parties are anxious that the protection of the moratorium should not be entirely removed without some provision being made for the mortgagors affected. What the Government proposes is to shift the obligation at present on the mortgagee to satisfy the Supreme Conrt of hardship ou to the mortgagor. The latter would thus have to produce reasons for an extension where the mortgagee has now to discover them for s termination of the mortgage.

The Motor Vehicles Bill is also to have a high place on the order paper. The Prime Minister states that- it is now before tho Cabinet, but has not yet been fully considered. When it is approved it will bo circulated so as to allow the fullest consideration by the House and local bodies interested. Gaming Legislation.

The Gaming Bill is another measure that is to be brought forward early in the session. It was before the House last Etesion, but determined opposition was raised, and it had to be dropped. There is reason to believe that this opposition has since lost tome of its strongest elements. The bill itself, Mr. Massey says, does not differ greatly from that submitted last session, which provided for 3?. additional race di>ys, 12 for racing and 19 for trotting. Another non-party but most contention?; measure is the Licensing Bill. Its details have been the purview of a House Committee for two sessions. Mr, Massey stated to-day, however, that the committee's deliberations are likely shortly to reach finaJity, and legislation would to framed according to its recommendations. The first thing to do, therefore, was to reconstitute the committee and allow it to complete its work, and this would be done. Government and Private Bills. In discussing this programme, Mr. Massey issued a warning that for the first six weeks of the session the Government had only two day a a week for its own business. That was if members liked to employ the other two days in private business, but that was a privilege not often fully used. Other Government bills already on the order paper are the Sale of Foods and Drugs Amendment (Sir Mani Pomare). Local Bodies "Loans Amendment (Mr. Massey), Insurance Companies* Deposits Amendment (Mr. Massey), Police"Force Amendment (Hon. C. ,T. Parr), Copyright Amendment (Mr. Parr), Extradition Amendment (Mr. Parr), and Local Legislation (Hon. R. F. F >li.ard). Private bills likely to provoke discuseion are the Justices of the Peace Amendment (Mr. T. M. • Wilford), Religious Bafercises in School (Mr. L. M. Isitt), and Summer Time (Mr. T. K. Sidey). A retrospect of the past week's "work" Is profitless. The contributions to the interminable debate generally contained nothing new or constructive. The Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Holland, had something to say concerning the Advances Department taking over mortgages affected by the lifting of the moratorium, but this has in the present state of the parties no practical Interest. There is this much to be said for the debate, however, that many members are unburdening their annual speeches, and this should facilitate the real business later on.