PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15821, 21 July 1913, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM THE PEESS GALLERY. (From Oue Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 20. It is anticipated that the. Financial Statement will be brought down in nine or ten days' time. It is understood that the document is all printed and ready for presentation to the House at any time, but that tho (iovernment will ask the House to deal with Bilk during the coming week. Several of the measures which wero given a second reading l>y the House without being challenged mav require a little time in their committee stages, and they may occupy the attention of the House for the greater part of the week. There is the second reading of tho Poliro Force Bill to be dealt with yet. Probably a lot of matter more or less extraneous to the subject matter of tho Bill will be introduced i[ the Bill is debated at all at its second reading. Tho passage of these Bills through the second reading stages will also allow certain of the committees to do some work, and generally the House will bo kept fully occupied. 1 CRITICISM OF BILLS. In discussing tho chances of some of the Bills now belorc the House, a prominent member of the Opposition party informed your representative that ho thought his party would do its best to have sonic im]x>rtant amendments made in committee. He thought some changes would be asked for in tho I'olico Force Bill, and that there would certainly bo a fairly full discussion of the measure, if not on the second reading, when the Bill waa in committee. He anticipated also that the Police Offonccs Amendment Bill, the measure which has been obviously framed to invest the authorities with-power to deal with such a rtate of affairs us recently oxistod at Wailii during tin: striko there, would mc« with some opposition. Personally, he said he wou'd op;>cs3 the clause in the Magistrate's Court Amendment Bill by which it was proposed to raise and to standardise magistrate's salaries. Ho wns in fnvour of an extension of the jurisdiction of magistrates, and of an endeavour being made to secure tho services of better men on the bench, and he rceognisrd that in order to do this, better salaries than have been ruling must be offered. On the other hand, he- held very strongly to the opinion that there were men on tho bench now who were not fit to be there; who were, in fact, receiving more than their due at tho present rates of pay. He would certainly oppose tho clause by which it was propose to |xiy magistrates, including the unsuitable men, higher salaries.