COMING SESSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21553, 26 July 1933, Page 11

COMING SESSION

DATE OF THE OPENING &N ANNOUNCEMENT AWAITED PRIME MINISTER'S RETURN POSSIBLE PRIOR ASSEMBLY Speculation as to the date of Parliament's next meeting is stimulated Indie news that the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, may he bark in New Zealand on September 18. It has been assumed that the session would open about that date, but the Government's recent decision to prorogue Parliament by fortnightly terms suggests the possibility of a slightly earlier meeting. Members of Parliament do not relish slimmer sittings. The practice of meeting on the last Thursday in Juno and dispersing in late October or early November has lately been upset through force of economic circumstances. Last rear, for instance, Parliament had a short session early in the year. It met again late in September with the intention of despatching all remaining business before Christmas. However, the development of the exchange rate controversy led to an adjournment of seven weeks early in December, and parliament, resuming late in January, carried on-until March 8. Dealing with Preliminaries Unless a similar occurrence is to he avoided this year, there would seem to be wisdom in assembling the House toward the end of next month. That would allow the Address-in-Replv debates in both Houses to be completed before the return of Mr. Forbes. The way would then be clear late in September for the- production of the Budget, to be followed at once by the Government's legislative programme. After the phenomenal volume of legislation, mainly economic, which lias been passed by Parliament in the last three years, there is a natural disposition in the. Cabinet to avoid adding to the Statutes. Very little indication has been given regarding the work which awaits Parliament. It will bo necessary, of course, to deal with tariff matters in the light of the reciprocal treaty arranged with Australia in April. The provisional agreement has been aj>proved but cannot become effective . until it is ratified by botli Parliaments. "Whether the New Zealand Parliament Trill also deal this session with general tariff matters in the light of the report of the commission now sitting is doubtful: The commission is now nearing the end of its Wellington proceedings and will begin the hearing of evidence in Auckland next week. Later it will visit Christchurch and Dunedin. Tariff Commission's Task The commission's order of reference names September -'3O as the date on which its report should be presented, but it is not unusual in such oases for at least one extension to be granted. However, it is probably too early to estimate whether the task can be finished in the time originally allotted. The Reserve Bank Bill, read a first time and circulated last session, is also due for final consideration during the coming session. In the meantime opponents of the measure have apparently been consolidating forces, and it is likely that the passage of the bill will be stubbornly fought. Other bills likely to come before Parliament will be various amendments to recent "economic" legislation._ They may seek to ratify relatively unimportant" points, >ut their appearance will throw the general subject of depression problems open to and it is not easy to place a time limit on such discussions. Discussion on Estimates The present position, then, is that, reluctant as members, and particularly farming members, may be to spend a second successive summer in Welling'ton, that prospect is definitely in sight unless Parliament deals with routine business before the Prime Minister s return. The Parliamentary institution takes several weeks to gain momentum and due allowance has to be made for that fact in determining the meeting date. The Estimates alone have been sufficient on past occasions to occupy Parliament intermittently for two months, and other subjects, comparatively trivial in themselves, have a habit of developing into marathon debates. However, if the Budget is ready for early presentation and judicious pressure is applied to keep Parliament to its work, it should be possible for the House to rise a week or so before Christmas.