LENGTH OF SESSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21937, 22 October 1934, Page 11

LENGTH OF SESSION

URGENT/WORK AHEAD DAIRYING LEGISLATION CONSIDERATION BY CAUCUS TASKS BEFORE ADJOURNMENT / [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Sunday Chief interest in the session of Parfi'aiucnt now centres on the date of the adjournment. Owing to to-morrow being labour Day, and to members being absent at the official opening of Waitaki hydro-electric works next Saturday, it n ot be possible to extend the numger of sitting days during the coming week, but it is expected that longer gours, including a sitting on Monday, will be necessary in the following week to ensure disposal of urgent work. It should still bo possible for the adjournment to be taken at the end of the month, ; but much depends on the decision made by Tuesday's caucus of the Government party regarding dairying legislation. The Ministry is in g position to give a direct lead to the caucus on that question, because legislation embodying some of the principal recommendations of the commission regarding reorganisation of the industry ha*' already been drafted. It is expected that other recommendations, including the rural mortgage corporation plan, will be held over for fuller consideration when the House resumes early next year. Native Aflairs Report .Reports of the .Company Promotion Commission and the Native Affairs Commission are expected to be tabled within a few days. The former will certainly require legislation, but the Government has made no decision regarding action on the report of the latter commission. The report was completed yesterday and presented to the Deputy-Governor-(Jeneral, Sir Michael Myers. The supplementary estimates will also ] be tabled eqrly this week, while on the legislative side, apart from the dairying and company bills, the most important measures will be the Unemployment Amendment Bill and a finance bill of miscellaneous clauses. There are Btill several routine tasks to complete but a couple of sittings should suffice for that purpose. The Government has been fortunate ' this session in receiving an unusual degree of co-operation from the Labour Party in transacting the business of the House. Naturally the two parties do not see eye to eye, but under the leadership of Mr. M. J. Savage, the Labour Party has usually been content to voice vigorous protest on points of difference without delaying the reaching of a division. The result has been that the latest sitting of the House has not extended past 3.15 a.m., whereas in previous years there were frequent "allnight" sittings. Spirit of Conciliation This spirit of conciliation was shown particularly in relation to the estimates, which were dealt with more expeditiously than for years past and yet discussion was not perfunctory. Generally the spirit of Parliament this session has been to deal in principles rather than in details. A continuation of this policy of mutual helpfulness should ensure tho /rising of the House toward the end of next week, for members, having the prospect before them of a longer period than usual in "Wellington next year, arp not anxious' to prolong their present stay. . In addition, it is virtually certain that the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. R. Masters, will desire to leave for Melbourne on October 30, but Mr. Coates wants to see the dairying / legislation dealt with before then. It is'expected that the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, will pilot the measure through the House, but Mr. Coates has been the one chiefly concerned with the question so far, and his help and advice will be of undoubted value to his colleague when the measure comes before Parliament. It is also possible that Mr. Coates will have a traffic-control measure to introduce in the House before the adjournment. The principal feature of this bill is expected to be the prescription of a epeed limit of 30 miles an hour for motor vehicles in boroughs, with modifications for localities where special caution is necessary. However, it seems possible that this bill, with several others of secondary importance now on the order paper, may he held over until /next year, if time for their adequate consideration is not available after the more important business has been completed.