WORK REVIEWED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 18

WORK REVIEWED

MUCH ELECTIONEERING ONE OUTSTANDING MEASURE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME 41 PUBLIC BILLS PASSED [BY TEIjKGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Frjday The final session of New Zealand s 25th Parliament has now come to a close, and with it to all intents and purposes tho first term of office of tho Dominion's first Labour Government. Like most pre-election sessions, it has been notable -for a flood of talk, much of it frankly anticipating tho electioneering speeches of tho next few weeks, but with one notable exception tho laws placed on the Statute Book have possessed no great significance. Parliament lias sat for 12 weeks, and during that time there have been 49 days of meeting. The greater part of this time was occupied with tho formal debates on the Address-in-Reply motion and on the Budget and although some time was spent on the passing of the Social Security Bill and on the approval of tho estimates of departmental expenditure, it was not until the last fortnight that a determined attack was made on the legislative programme. Far-reaching Measure The Social Security Bill, of course, overshadowed everything- else, but so much had been heard of its provisions in advance that even the appearance of the proposals in legislative form was something in the nature of an anticlimax. However, tho bill take 3 its place with measures like the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Amendment Act and the Primary Products Marketing Act as ono of the most important and far-reaching measures introduced by Labour. *

In general, it has been a goodtempered session, particularly when it is remembered that all along an election has been in tho offing. In spite of its lack of numbers, the Opposition lias performed its critical functions with ability, and there have been very few occasions on which political argument has become heated or acrimonious. Few Late Sittings Questions of privilege arose once or twice, but they were concerned largely with* attacks made by members on persons outside the House, attacks which have assumed a new significance since the installation of broadcasting microphones in the Chamber. For an election session, there have been very few late sittings and comparatively few divisions. A vote of the whole House was taken on division on only four occasions, while there were 17 divisions in committee, practically all of them on closure motions and Opposition amendments. With its commanding majority, the Government survived all divisions with the greatest of ease. Public bills which received the Royal assent during tho session totalled 41, while eight measures lapsed or were disposed of in other fashion. Only two private bills were passed. The List of Legislation . The full list of legislation for the session is as follows: — Public Bills. —Agricultural Emergency Regulations Confirmation, Appropriation, Arbitration Amendment, Carter Observatory, Dairy Industry Amendment, Education Amendment, Finance, Imprest Supply, Imprest Supply (No. 2), King George the Fifth Memorial Fund. Land and Income Tax (Annual), Local Legislation, Municipal Corporations Amendment, Native Housing Amendment, Native Purposes, New Zealand Centennial, New Zealand Council of Law Reporting, Reserves and Other Lands Disposal, Samoa Amendment, Social Security, Stallions, Sta- • tutes Amendment, Stock Amendment, Surveyors. Local and Private Bills Local Bills.—Auckland. ElectricPower Board Amendment, Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board Empowering, Geraldine County River District Amendment, Greymouth Harbour Board Loan, Lower Clutha River Improvement, Napier Airport Amendment, Nelson City Empowering, Ohai Railway Board Amendment, Opunake Harbour, Otago Harbour Board .Empowering, Palmerston North City Council Empowering, Paritutu Centennial Park, Southland Land .Drainage Amendment, Tauranga Borough Council Empowering, Timaju Borough Empowering, Wellington 1 ' City Empowering and Amendment, Wellington City Housing. Private Bills.—Cornwall Park Trustees Rating Exemption, Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society Incorporation. Public. Bills Lapsed.—Alsatian Dog, Cornwall Park Hating Exemption, Expiring Laws Continuance, New Zealand Federation of Funeral Directors, Otago Central Licensing Committee Enabling. Slaughter of Stock and Inspection, of Meat. . ' Local Bills Lapsed.—Auckland Metropolitan Drainage, Coromaiulel County Reclamation and Empowering.