BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3160, 7 October 1914, Page 54

BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. bills to be passed. PARTY WRANGLE IN THE HOUSE. (From Oca Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 2. The time has now come when the question of the probable date of the end of the session looms largely in the minds ot members. A discussion on this point took place this afternoon. _ . The motion moved by the Prime Minister was that on and after Monday next the House should meet at 7.30 p.m. on Mondays for the transaction of Government business only. Mr Massey pointed out that there was still a great deal ot business. He said that the following Bills would be proceeded with ;—-Local Hailways, Eire Brigades, _ Rangitikei Land Drainage, Hauraki Plains, River Boards, National Provident, Shipping Documents Durino- War. Land Agents, Public Bodies Leased Local Grants and Subsidies, Education, Cook Islands, New Zealand Unix ex - sity. Mining, Coal Mines, and one or two others, including the. Legislative Council Reform Bill Mr Russell : Are you going on with that ? Mr Massey ; Yes. Mr M‘Galium : What about the Defamation Bill? Mr Massey : I will have a word or two to say about that before I have finished. He did not propose to go on with the Motor Bill. A Bill providing for the encouragment of the breeding of horses suitable for remount and artillery purposes was in the course of preparation. There would also be a Workers’ Homes Act Amendment Bill, an amendment to the Fruit Industry Bill, and he thought there would be two Loan Bills. There would also be a “Washing-up” Bill, mid possibly other comparatively unimportant Luis would be found to be necessary. Mr Ell : What about a Shops Act Amendment Bill ? Mr Massey : I have referred that to the Labour Department for a report. There would also be a short amendment to the Arbitration Act. Mr Lee : What about the Lights on Vehicles Bill? —(Laughter.) Mr Massey :. I think that there should be a general Act dealing with that matter —(hear, hear),—but I do not know whether we will find time to put it through or not. There would probably be r short Bill dealing with the iron industry. Mr Massey then made an announcement which appeared to greatly perturb the Leader of the Opposition. It was this ; 11 The Crimes Amendment Bill, Defamation Bill, Magistrate’s Court Bill, and Religious Instruction in Schools Referenlum Bill will stand over for the time leing. I do not commit the Government ;o drop these Bills.” Sir Joseph Ward i Are you going on with them ? Mr Massey : They will stand over for be time being. Sir Joseph Ward ; It Is only a fair thing that we should have a straightforward statement. Mr Massey ; 'lf the lion, gentleman is mxious for these Bills I will be glad to ;ive the House an opportunity of dealing with them. Sir Joseph Ward : I do not care what rou do. I want my say about them; that s all. By keeping these Bills hanging >ver our heads you are inviting ns to dis:uss the other Bills at great length. You vill probably think that wo will be away loing our work outside while you are here mjoying yourselves. Mr Massey (puzzled) : What does that nean ? Several Members : Electioneering. Mr Massey : The right hon. gentleman ;an go on electioneering to his heart’s ontent. The more of it that he does the letter for me. We are going to do the uxsiness of the country before we leave Yellington. We can finish the business in hree weeks if we settle down to work. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Opposiion was prepared to do its best to assist he Government to put through its prorainme, but it expected to be treated airly. The Government was trying to rolong the session. Mr Massey : We are not. Sir Joseph Ward : Your own friends say hat you are going to keep ns here until he end of October. Mr Massey ; That is a fair time, is it ot ? Sir Joseph Ward i We want to help ou, but we don’t want to be fooled. r ou are trying to drive down our throats jgislation to which we are opposed. AVe re too old to be caught like that. He •ent on to say that the Government had aide up its mind to have the elections ris year. Mr Massey: The constitution provides >r that. Sir Joseph Ward said that the Governlent for party reasons was attempting to old in suspense a number of Bills concernig which it was known that there was ;rong feeling. This was improper and afair. The Government was deliberately •ying to prolong the session in order to (jure the Opposition, because it thought xat it was not so well organised as the overnment party. The Prime Minister new that. Mr Massey: I do not. Sir Joseph Ward ; Your own supporters five said it, but you are not going to sep us all here in that way. AYe will 3ep enough here to keep the business )ing until the end of October. Government Members i And then walk it. Sir Joseph Ward repeated portions of s speech, and remarked, “ AVe are preired to go to the electors now.” Mr Massey: And yet yon say you are >t organised.—(Laughter!) Sir Joseph Ward : We are organised as

well as you are.—(Laughter.) The Government is trying to take a mean advantage of the position. Mr Massey : That is not so. Sir Joseph Ward : Then why not make a full statement as to the business. There was the Legislative Council Bill. Why had the House not had that before this? Mr Massey : Y’ou will have it next week. Sir Joseph Ward: Why should this Bill be kept behind a number of less important Bills? Air Massey: AA'e must keep the Upper House at work. Sir Joseph Ward; All the minor Bills could be put through in half a day if the Prime Minister would tell us what he intends to do. Mr Massey : I will tell you later on. Sir Joseph Ward: AA'e wish to a-oid party squabbles and acrimony. We are prepared fully to discuss the Legislative Council Bill and to help the Government in any reasonable way, but we do not want a sword kept hanging over our heads. All the measures mentioned could be put through in a week or 10 days if the Government would be reasonable. Air Alassey: I am not going to be threatened. Sir Joseph AVard: I am not threatening either, and I am not going to be threatened. AA'e are not going to bo placed in the position of assisting to put through these Bills and then having something that we do not want forced upon us. Sir Joseph Ward continued to speak at great length till it became evident that the motion would be talked out by the arris al of the dinner adjournment. Air Alassey ; You are taking a long time about it. Sir Joseph Ward: lam entitled to take time. Mr Massev: Very well \ waste as much time as you like. Sir Joseph AVard: I am not wasting time. The speech, which was made up of repetitious of what had been already said, was kept np till 5.30, when the discussion (according to the rules) was terminated by the dinner adjournment. The motion was thus talked out, and could not be put. Mr Massey: Very well, you may have Alouday. AA v e are going on with the business (meaning that the orders of the clay would be taken at 7.30 p.m.). When the House resumed at 7.30 Sir Joseph Ward said he had not been aware at the time he was speaking on the motion prior to the adjournment that by talking until 5.30 he would deprive the Prime Minister of an opportunity of replying. If he had known this he would certainly have stopped speaking in ample time, and he would offer no objection to the motion being dealt with in the evening. Mr Alassey said he was very glad to have the explanation. He had thought when Sir Joseph Ward was speaking that his object was to talk the motion out, and he had felt somewhat annoyed on that account. Mr Alassey, continuing, said the Leader of the Opposition was unfair to him in saying that the Government was anxious to prolong the session. He (Air Massey) had said he was very anxious to bring it to an end, and he had proved his sincerity by bringing on a little earlier than usual the motion to take Mondays. Sir Joseph AVard had said he was anxious to wind np the session at the earliest possible moment, but he had proved his sincerity by opposing the motion. Sir Joseph AVard : No. Air Alassey: When he was speaking ho certainly left the impression that he objected to Monday being taken. Sir Joseph AVard : I will support your motion now. Mr Alassey said he was very glad to hear that. He would remind Sir Joseph AA'ard that in 1911 he did not move to take Mondays until October 11, and even then he did not tell the House what business he intended to go on with. When lie eventually did tell the House what he proposed to go on with there were 28 Bills in his list. Further than this, between October 13 and October 30, when the session came to an end, 22 Bills were introduced, many of which were very important. Proceeding, Air Alassey said there was one Bill in which the Leader of the Opposition said he was personally interested, and he had tried hard to get a definite promise that that Bill would not be proceeded with. He referred to the Defamation Bill. He Air Alassey) did not think that the right hon. gentleman had taken up a fair position in that matter or that he was dealing fairly with him (the Prime Minister). Sir Joseph AVard: I did not mean that it affected me personally more than any other member. Air Alassey: AA'ell, the right hon. gentleman used tlie word, otherwise 1 should not have mentioned it. I may say that I have been attacked by the press more than any other member of the House probably, but I don’t mind, and it has done me no harm yet. lam willing to give the press here the same liberties as are enjoyed by the press of Australia and Great Britain, and 1 don’t understand why the right hon. gentleman should object to that. As to the organisation of parties, Mr Alassey said that Sir Joseph AVard suggested that it was because the Government party was better organised than his party that the Government wished to keep the session going to the end of October. If that ivas the position, did not the right hon. gentleman see that the better course fox - tlie Government would bo to go to the country at the earliest possible moment and take the Opposition at a disadvantage? He (Air Alassey) however, saw no reason to depart from tlie ordinary custom. There was no reason why they should hurry, especially as they wanted to have the rolls all in good order. Personally, he did not care a snap of the fingers when the elections were held. He wanted to go on c|idctly and steadily rvith the business of the session without undue haste pr rush or hurry, and if ’there was no obstruction he believed they could finish it about three weeks from now. The Prime Minister’s motion to commence Alonday sittings was then pub and carried on the voices.

ABOUT FOUR WEEKS A JOBE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 4. Parliament is now about to settle clown to about four weeks’ hard work, and it is anticipated that the curtain will be rung down about the end of the present month. Monday sittings, which are always a sign of the approaching end, will be commenced to-morrow, when a number of minor Government Bills will probably be discussed. The most important Bills yet to come before the House are the Loan Bills, the Legislative Council Beform Bill, and the Education Act Amendment Bill. The Public Works Statement and Estimates have also yet to make their appearance. The debate on the Statement and the annual Public Works Loan Bill will, as usual, be taken together. There will in all probability be a second Loan Bill providing for a loan for carrying out the new railway construction proposals outlined in the report of the genei’al manager (Mr Hiley). An opportunity for discussing Mr Hi ley’s report has been promised by the Prime Minister, and it is expected that this will be afforded by the introduction of the Bill in question. The Legislative Council Beform Bill, providing - for an elective Upper Chamber, which has passed the Council, will probably be before the House during the coming week. The Education Bill, which was reported last week by the Education Committee, will also bo brought on shortly, and on the motion to go into committee on it the House will have the opportunity of indulging in what will he practically a second reading debate. The Legislative Council and Education Bills will probably be dealt" with before the Public Works Statement is brought down. The Local Grants and Subsidies Bill, which provides for an important alteration in the method of allocating moneys for the maintenance of the main arterial roads, has also yet to be dealt with. The Cook Islands, New Zealand University Amendment, and the Coal Mines and Mining Bills are amongst the other Bills on the order paper which the Government proposes to proceed with.