SOUTH AFRICAN UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19549, 31 January 1927, Page 9

SOUTH AFRICAN UNION.

OPENING; £if PARLIAMENT. LEGISLATION FORESHADOWED. A. find N.Z. CAPETOWN. Jan. 28. The speech of the Governor-General, the Earl ot Athlone, at the opening of the South African Parliament, contained no outstanding feature, The /results of the Imperial Conference were referred to as having afforded much gratification to his Ministers which, he believed, was shared by the people of the Union. Lord Athlone expressed a hope that the recent Indian Conference would lead to a satisfactory and amicable solution of the Indian question, The speech referred to the continued success of the policy of widening the sphere of employment for civilised labour, schemes for the rehabilitation of those employed in rural occupations, and training South African youths in industry. Except for the South African Flag Bill and the Sedition Bill, which were introduced last session, no legislation of a contentious nature was foreshadowed. The Sedition Bill is bitterly opposed by Labour representatives;, and will probably appear low down on the .Order Paper, in which case it will not bo reached. Legislation affecting Indians has been dropped in view of tlio recent conference with the delegation representing the Government of India. It is understood that four Government Bills, which deal with the most vital native problem, and which arc certain to lead to very lengthy debates, will be referred to a Select Committee.