WORK OF THE SESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14683, 17 November 1909, Page 2

WORK OF THE SESSION

SEVERAL IMPORTANT MEASURES. PROPOSAL TO LIMIT DISCUSSION. AUTUMN" SESSION PROBABLE. (Per United Peess Association-.) WELLINGTON, November 16. A Government, caucus was held to-day, at the conclusion of which the Prime Minister stated that 44 members were present, and that two members who were absent were accounted for. "The cansiis, 1 ' he 'continued, "was called by mo for the purpose of discussing the business of the session, mare particularly in view of the limited time available between now and Christmas. We recommended reassembling one mouth after the adjournment in event of the important policy bills now before the House not being passed before December 22. To this the caucus practically unanimously

agreed. " I stated that the policy bills inilicaled in the Financial Statement were intended to he passed. The bills are the Siate Guaranteed Advances Bill, the Land Finance Settlement Rill, Death Duties Hill, Graduated Income Tax Rill, Bank taxation, including notes, racing clubs taxation, land settlement, including money to be raised for'lhe purpose of acquiring Maori lands in the north, Customs primage, Defence Bill, Land Bill, Native Land Bill, Licensing Bill. King Country Licensing Bill, Superannuation Bill. Railway Betterment Bill, Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill, and. State Provident Fund (or Annuities) Bill. To all of these the party agreed, and in the event of (he programme not being finished by the date mentioned the Mouse will reassemble not later than February 1."

In the House this afternoon the Prime Minister made a statement regarding the probable duration of the session. With a view to facilitating business ho suggested that, as the whole of the proposals outlined in the Budget would be brought down in separate bills, the Lender of the Opposition and himself should, as the leaders of both parties in the House, be the only speakers on the Financial debate. He did not, of course, refer to the Independent members. Parliament would require to adjourn in December to.enable members to go home for Christinas, and if the House would apply itself to dealing with the important bills he thought the majority of them could be put through by the dale mentioned. 'If Parliament proved unable lo complete the proposed legislation, he would ask the House to adjourn for a month, and reassemble about Februaryl. when the important measures could ho dealt vvilh, after which Parliament could adjourn until the following year. The bills he referred to as the most impvtEiit were a bill to authorise the expenditure on a Dreadnought and bills dealing with defence, land, Native lands, licensing and King Country licensing, hospitals, superannuation and annuities. The Native Land Bill should not take a long time to put through. Though it was a large bill, it was chiefly a consolidating measure. In regard to the Licensing Bill, imoortant licensing legislation had never been passed in the House without a previous agreement between representatives of the two parties concerned. \n understanding on Ihe material points had been arrived at between the leaders of both sections interested in the licensing question. In Hie event of prohibition being carried throughout the Dominion, it would involve changes in the incidence of taxation, and time would have to be given to adjti.it this. In the general interests of the country ho hoped that' the proposed licensing legislation would be passed. The Land Bill would be circulated at the end of this week. If his suggestion were agreed to and only the Leader of the Opposition and himself spoke on the i'iwißciul debate, it would be possible to get on with the business. He hoped that members would restrain themselves-in \iew of the near approach of Christmas.

JJr, Jlast-sy thaty wli'la anxious ijvj facilitate the business of tjiesession. -anci while quits willing to reasonably, curtail Hie debate,-he could not ts'fco his'Sviy'-to deprive the members on his ado.; of .the House of their rights by asking theni-to retrain from speaking on the most important matters mentioned in the Budget. With regard to the proposal that Parliament .should meet again after Christmas, while he regretted the necessity, it could not hi lielned, and the House must iace it.

Mr T. E. Taylor said it was no fault of members that delay in the business had occurred, as none of the bills outlined in tho Budget had yet been printed. Whose fault was it that five weeks had been wasted?

The Prime Minister said Mr Tayior was Hie position. A number of he bills had boon in the hands of memiers since the beginning _of (he session.

ilv Jl'Larcii said the Prime Minister' iropusals weit! most unfair to new mom ;n#. He described the changes lore liii'Jr.v.'ed in the Uwlupt ,->* revnlu'ionary. ml he considered that they should have icen siiOii'.iutd iu ilie tmiiitry uebre icing presented tc Parliament. Memoirs -•oiild not do justice lo the Budget if there were only two speakers and (he tefct of the mcm'.u'is tat dumb.

Sir .]. G. Ward disclaimed any intentwn of preventing the Independent, members from taking part in the discussion, lie had only made the suggestion, which was for the House to accept or reject. : i\!i Hog>,' protested against the Prime Minister'!) proposal, which was one of the most extraordinary he had. heard'in .the House. Ho hoped that no member would .submit to be gagged. Mr Fisher said, the House had. been waiting for 1 sinonths for an opportunity t) discuss the Financial Statement, The Government proposed to fit up till Christinas, and come back at the end of January, sit through February and March, and then adjourn till the end of June.

Sir J. G. Ward said Parliament could sit on until the end of Juno if desired.

Mr Fisher said we were rapidly approaching the stage at which the country was being asked to put up with administration without control.

Mr Buchanan, on behalf of the country members, asked the Prime Minister to reconsider his proposal in order to obviate the necessity of bringing bjck tho members after Christmas.

The Prime Minister said he could not agree to this, as it would prevent the Jlonce doing any business at all.

Mr -Malcolm-asked whether it was true (hat the Government would receive ten(brs for the construction of a Dread-

nought, and. if so. would he consider the advisability of leaving that lo the Admiralty. Sir J. G. Ward said the Government had no intention of abrogating its prerogatives. The Government had nothing lo\lo wilh the construction of the vessel, but the House would have to ratify the acceptance of a lender.The House decided to give preference to Government bills on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the Prime Minister gave notice of motion to sit on Mondays after Monday week. \ (Fhom Our. Owx CositEsroxDENT.) WELLINGTON. November 10. In the course of the discussion Mr Maisey said he could not rule his men with a rod of ; ron, as apparently the Prime .Minister could rule bis parly. ft was the duly of members to do the business in a businesslike way, and if it could nol be so dealt with before Christmas, then they should come back and deal with it. The Prime Minister resented ,lhe suggestion that he ruled his followers with a rod of iron. It was significant that no member of the Government parly had a word to say on the proposals. It is to be presumed, therefore, that they agreed with them. No doubt a number of them would be delighted with the opportunity to remain silent in regard to the Budget, became il contains proposals such as the granting of the freehold, the increased Customs duties, and the increase in railway fares, that must be very distasteful to lliem, and that must put them in a very awkward position. As the Hone cannot possibly gel through half the programme before Christmas an autumn sresior- seems inevitable. A DIVIDED CAMP. FREEHOLD AND LEASEHOLD. (From Our Own Coiirespondent.) WELLINGTON. November 16. Unofficial statements in -■•egard to the Government eattcu.s this morning show flint there was considerable discussion in regard to the land proposals, and, is might have been expected, there was a. great diversity of opinion. The leaseholders were in the minority, and had to content themselves with giving their dissatisfac.' tion an airing. The decision to sigree to the. Prime Minister's recommendation tn reassemble after Christmas in the event of the business being unfinished was, it appears, not quite unanimous, there being one dissentient. It is said that Mr Bamne was the dissenting member, although no authorised statement on that point is available. Mr Hunan, < the member fo'' Invercargill, a Government'supporter, who is opposed to the land proposals, did no> attend the caucus'. Some other member* of the party were absent from Wellington, and consequently could nqt attend. There are iiufeitioiLs that the Government following is not altogether a happy family juri now Some of them profess to think that after all the session will en:! before Christmas.