THE WORK OF THE SESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20385, 14 October 1929, Page 10

THE WORK OF THE SESSION.

Parliament has now been in session 15 full weeks and, according to the expressed desire of the Government to dismiss it by the end of the month, has three weeks to pass in review the remainder of the business formulated by the Government. What the Government proposes it should sanction in that brief period is, however, much more formidable than all it has achieved in five-sixths of the session's length. By skilful management, the minority party in office has had its course made reasonably smooth, and, though difficulties have been encountered, they have not been sufficient to prevent progress of a sort. But the obstacles of contentious proposals have not been surmounted: they have merely been swept ahead, as though it were hoped that the opposition parties might be so wearied by months of dreary and aimless meandering that no resistance would be offered when the Government proposed to plunge through the accumulation of problems deferred. The Budget is still little more than a document. Of the Government's proposals for increasing taxation, the primage duty is in force by virtue of a formal resolution : it has still to be confirmed by the passing of a customs bill. The two taxing bills, one of which is essential and the other necessary to impose the supertax on landowners, have passed the second reading stage, but have yet to be submitted to the House in Committee, when the Opposition will have its greatest liberty of criticism. A debate on the Railways Statement has been promised ; associated with that is the Transport Bill. The Public Works Statement has yet to appear, with the prospect of a revival of the controversy over railway construction. Even the report of the committee on the Botorua-Taupo railway may provoke a debate occupying part of the brief period remaining. Other provocative subjects arc ihe promised proposals in regard to superannuation funds, the report of the wheat duties inquiry, and the contemplated revision of education policy, while the House lias been promised an opportunity to discuss the disposal of the former residence of the Prime Minister, another to deal with the Gaining Bill, and it will certainly discuss .the promised statement on Public Service salaries. It has not yet completed its review of the main Estimates; the Public Works Estimates will later claim attention : and a ; t the latter end there •will be the Supplementary Estimates, which will embody the vote for the South Island steamer subsidy and possibly other contentious proposals for expenditure from the public purse. In addition, there are some Government bills. Nor is it likely that the members will disperse without further reference to schemes for the solution of unr'n'.plovinent. The li.«t is by no means complete, but it: is sufficient to show flint the Government will either have to sacrifice a great deal of its programme ,or submit to a considerable prolongation of the session. As a minority party, with Parliament in session, it remains in office only by the grace of the Opposition parties; with Parliament prorogued, it enters upon another term of power. For the hastening of the recess, great sacrifices may present be Jiiade f