THE SESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22063, 20 September 1933, Page 8

THE SESSION

PREPARATIONS WELL ADVANCED ADVENT OF WOMAN MEMBER CHANGES IN PROCEDURE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 19. Practically all the activities of Parliament Buildings were resumed to-day in preparation for the session which will be opened on Thursday afternoon. All the corridors and rooms have been repainted and redecorated during the recess, several new carpets have been laid, and the whole appearance of Parliament House is fresher than It has been for many years. The Lyttelton by-election and its result still form one of the chief topics of conversation among the few members who have so far arrived In Wellington. Advice received to-night indicated that the returning officer expects to be able to declare the result of the poll to-mor-row, in which case Mrs M‘Combs will be sworn In and will take her seat immediately after the Speech from the Throne on Thursday afternoon. It is understood that she will occupy her husband’s bench in the Opposition front row next to Mr Sullivan. There is a great deal of lively debate regarding the changes in the traditional procedure of the House which her arrival may cause. Will she wear a hat or will she not? Will the GovernorGeneral in his Speech from the Throne address the House as “Honourable lady and gentlemen,” or will be compromise with “Honourable members”? Scores of women are anxious to attend and tickets for the opening ceremony are at a premium. Once Thursday's ceremonies are .over the proceedings of the House will be brief. On Friday members will pay their respects to the memories of five deceased legislators —Mr Wiremu Rikihana, Sir Thomas Sidey, Mr G. M. Thomson, Mr J. M'Combs, %nd Mr A. M'Nicol-—after which the House will make a comparatively early adjournment until the following Tuesday, when the Address-in-Reply debate will be initiated. The Government is considering a proposal to depart from all precedent, and forcibly restrict this debate to a few days only, but whether such an extreme step will be taken remains to be seen. It provides one of the two opportunities which the Opposition is allowed during the session to discuss general policy questions, and particularly in the present circumstances, when the Labour Party is somewhat emboldened by its success in the Lyttelton by-election, any curtailment is likely to be strenuously resisted.

After nn informal meeting yesterday afternoon to welcome the Prime Minister and 1 Mr Masters, Cabinet held its first serious session to-day. Both Mr Forbes and Mr Masters have to pick up the threads -of public business from their colleagues, and the latter in turn will no doubt have a good deal to learn of the Prime Minister’s activities overseas. The two Ministers were given a civic reception in the Wellington Town Hall tonight, and they will be attending several similar functions in the next few days. Following their reports to Cabinet it is possible that an early announcement may be made about the Government’s efforts to secure trade agreements in Canada and the United States and with other countries represented at the World Economic Conference.