THE FINAL SESSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22198, 27 August 1935, Page 10

THE FINAL SESSION

PARLIAMENT'S OPENING NEXT THURSDAY'S CEREMONY MEMBERS ALREADY ARRIVING LENGTHY INITIAL DEBATE I [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER! WELLINGTON. Monday The final session of the 2-1 th Parliament of New Zealand will open on Thursday, marking the drawing to a close of a four-year term as arduous as any in the Dominion's political history. The present Parliament has had a longer term than usual, as during its own lifetime and in order to deal fully with the problems of a depression era it extended its life by a year. In spite of some political opinions to the contrary, the bulk of evidence supports the contention that its final efforts will bo undertaken with prosperity definitely returning. Customary Pageantry Parliament will be opened on Thursday afternoon by the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, this being the first occasion on which His Excellency has officiated at a ceremony which provides one of the few glimpses of pageantry in affairs of State in Now Zealand. The time-honoured procedure, borrowed direct from the Mother of Parliaments, will be followed, and Wellington is bound to take as keen an interest as ever in the ceremonial. The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, aro both visiting their own constituencies, and in their absence no announcement can be obtained as to the nature of the legislation which may be expected early in the session. It is generally anticipated that the Address-in-Heplv debate may take some time, as with a general election only a few months distant some members will doubtless welcome the freedom of discussion which the debate invariably provides. Legislation Ready However, legislation is ready and waiting for the business of the House to proceed, and it is not thought that the session will be unduly protracted A general election too close to Christmas is not popular with tho .business community, and after the House rises some time must be left for political campaigning. Fight to ten weeks is the lifetime generally predicted for the session. Although several Ministers of the Crown aro absent, members of Parliament from both the North and South Islands have already started to arrive in Wellington. Mr. Forbes will return from his home in Cheviot on Wednesday morning, and Mr. Coates will arrive from Auckland on Thursday.