POLITICAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7867, 1 August 1911, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES

CHRISTCHURCH NORTH SEAT BY-ELECTION IN A FORTNIGHT. Yesterday afternoon Sir Arthur Guinness (Speaker of the House of Represen- - tativos) received formal notification that ■ the death of Mr T. E, Taylor, late mem- - her for Christchurch North, has been registered. The House will be asked this evening to pass a resolution ordering the issue of the warrant to the Clerk ol Writs for an election. The writ will be returnable within twenty-one days, and as a week must be allowed for a possible second ballot, the date of tho election must be about a fortnight hence. > i DEBATES ON THE ADDRESS-IN- ' REPLY. , This evening Parliament will begin tho actual work of the session. Both Houses will meet at half-past seven, but [ doubts are entertained in somo quarters as to the amount of business likely to be done. In tho Legislative Council the Hon. J. : R. Sinclair will move tho Address-in--3 Reply, but it is not expected that the j debate will have proceeded very far be- ; foro tho adjournment is taken until ioi morrow. Tho Council is averse to late i hours at tho beginning of tbo session. I There is some doubt whether the House of Representatives’ will begin on tho Ad- ) dress-iu-Keply to-day at all, as the pre--1 lirainary business is expected to occupy j longer than usual. If this is the-case Mr IV. T. Jennings, who is to move the i Address,, will have to defer action until > Wednesday. It is uncertain how long the debate is likely to last, because mem. • bers are averse to disclosing their inton- ' tions even to their colleagues, but the absence of debate on the Imprest Supply 1 Bill will cause many to make their projected speech’ ou this fresh occasion. As each member is entitled to an hour, the debate may easily fill up a fortnight, during which no other business can be transacted. LEGISLATORS RETURNING. 1 ■ The Acting Prime Minister, Sir James Carroll, and the Hons. G. Fowlds and D. Buddo, with the other "members: of tho Legislature who attended the funeral of tho late Mr T. B. Taylor, will return to Wellington from Christchurch this morn- ’ ine ' , COUNCIL’S COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. To-morrow week, August 9th. is the date fixed for the election of a Chairman „ of Committees in the Legislative Council. It,is considered probable that tho present'bolder of tho position, the Hon. W. C. F. Carncross, will bo returned unopposed. 'A PRIVATE EFFORT. ’ The first private Bill of which notice was given this session is to bo called (if passed) the Field Divorce Act. Tho object .of the proposed legislation, is to enable one Arthur Henry Field, of Ashburton, notwithstanding the provisions of tho Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act, 1908, to petition tho Supreme Court ■ for dissolution of his marriage with his wife. , DAYLIGHT SAVING. Mr Sidey is very hopeful of tho prospeots of his Daylight Saving Bill, which occupies a very favourable position on the order paper, and seems certain to obtain a good deal of support. It proposes to set the clock forward an hour in the summer months, so, that business will commence and cease an hour earlier than in winter. Mr Sidey does not mind how the Bill fares so long as Parliament approves of tho principle, and-he is hopeful that the Government may take it up. Tho opposition to it comes from the Press Association on account of the confusion that might arise iu cabling, but Mr Sidoy has anticipated the objection by pcstpoing tho operation of- tlio Bill tor a year to give the Commonwealth time to fall into line with a similar measure. - THE MINING’ COMMISSION. Tlie Mining Commission, which will open its inquiry in Wellington ou Thursday,- will later take evidence at all the mining centres. It is-not expected that its report will be available for presentation to Parliament during the present session, but it will probably be made the basis for any mining legislation to be brought in next year. Mr P. Galvin has been , appointed secretary, and Mr Watkin (jjf tho Mines Department) shorthand writer- to the Commission. ARBITRATION AGP AMENDMENTS. The appearance of an Industrial Conciliation aud Arbitration Act ou tho order paper has excited much interest iu Parliamentary circles, but the Bill itself is not likely, it is understood, to contain’ any radical points of difference from existing law. It will ..mainly consist of amendments such as have been found necessary for tho smoother working of the- system. When the Minister of Labour brings the measure before Parliament, several private members will endeavour to amendments in committee. It is understood that Sir Arthur Guinness (Grey) will endeavour to secure repeal of the domicile clause of the present Act, under which tho dependants of an injured worker domiciled outside tho Dominion cannot obtain compensation. The member for Grey proposes that any dependant of English nationality residing within the Empire shall* bo entitled to recover. REPRESENTATION COMMISSION. The North Island section of the Representation Commission has practically corapleted its report, tut the. South Island" members of the Commission have a more difficult task with the extended ‘ boundaries due to the reduced number 1 of seats, and their work is hhrdly likely ] to end until another week has-claused. ’ Then the provisional boundaries will be gazetted. •