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Otago Daily Times, Issue 15183, 30 June 1911, Page 4

THE COMING SESSION. " At leaiit one of the expectations expressed by the Prime Minister last year respecting th' 3 approaching session of Parliament seems likely to bo falsified. Speaking on the last day of last session Sir Joseph Ward was called upon to reply to objections that had been raised by members of the Opposition to the postponement of the assembling of Parliament this year until a month later than usual in order to admit oi the Prime

Minister and the Attorney-general being back in the Dominion very shortly after tbp session should liave commenced. It was suggested by Mr Massey and Mr Herrics that if Parliament met at the usual time—about the end of June—it would be possible for both Houses to have the Address-in-Reply and a certain amount of formal business disposed of before the return of the absent Ministers. The Prime Minister retorted that there was no earthly reason why a- period of six weeks, from tte end of June until the date he fixed at that time for his return to New Zealand, should be taken up in connection with the transaction of formal business, for that, he contended, implied that there would practically be a waste of time for those six weeks. Arid this waste of time would, the House was invited to believe, be avoided if arra.pgements were made whereby the opening of the session might take place a month later than iiaual, Nothing, however, can now bo more plain than that there will bo a distinct waste of time during the'first three or four weeks of the session. As the extended supply which has been granted to the Government will expire on the 31st July, it will he necessary that Parliament shall meet before that dale in order that fresli supplies may be voted to allow of the ordinary services of the Stato king carried oil. The Acting Prime Minister lias alruuly informed us that Parliament will bo summoned In meet on the 27th July, and it may be assumed that both Houses will be asked to pass an Imprest Supply Bill on the following day. The Prime Minister and the Attorney-general will, however, not be back in New Zealand until the 22nd; August, unless the steamer by which they arc to travel is to arrive in advance of her scheduled'date., and that means that they will not be ill their places in Parliament until nearly four weeks from the opening ol the cession. i\W, we shall hardly be doing any injustice to the Acting Prime Minister and his colleagues who have remained in New Zealand to "hold the fort" i.ii the absence of their chief and of their representative in the Upper House in supposing that—however much tliev may protect that they have Hills ready for presentation—they arc not likely to bo so presumptuous as to initiate any legislation on their own account, and in the circumstances the Government will have to find such forma] basin ess as it can wherewith,

assisted by its more faithful henchmen, it can fritter away tho time of Paliiament pending the return of the Prime .Minister. Thereafter, the Financial Statement will have to bo delivered, and, even though very little in the way of legislation may be attempted during the session, the anticipation expressed by Sir Joseph Ward that the whole of the business of the session could be transacted in six weeks or two months seems wholly unlikely to be fulfilled, unless indeed the membsrs, anxious, to get to their constituencies to lace the opposition that threatens nearly every one of them, resolve to submit to long hours for tho session.