POLITICAL

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 91, 16 June 1925, Page 5

POLITICAL

THE SESSION'S WORK. GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMMER MEASURES NOW IN SHAPE. (Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, June 15. Since the death of Mr Massey and the administrative changes which have been brought about in consequence, Minister have been preparing their schedule of Bills for BUbmission to Parliament at the session which will open on 25th June. Cabinet has spent a good deal of time lately in putting the legislative programme into shape, and everything is now practically ready for embodiment in the Governor-General's Speech from the Throne. Not infrequently, the Speech Is a colorless document which takes a lot to get enthusiastic about, bat tfiis is election year, and it is only to be expected that the Government will take what opportunity it can to go in for a little "window dressing." If the coming fusion negotiations have no practical result, then the Coates Administration must endeavor to try to show that it can give a good account of itself if it is permitted to have anything like a reasonable lease of life.

One thing which can be looked forward to with a fair degree of certainty this session is the probability of a further effort being made to reduce taxation, and it would not be surprising if a goodly portion of the surplus of £1,235,000 is not applied so as to give some concessions which will benefit certain classes of moderately-sized holdings. Local body borrowing is also likely to come in for some share of atr tention. The burden per capita of this class of borrowing has almost trebled in the last 25 years, a fact which the late Mr Masßey and the present Prime Minister have drawn attention to in recent times. lation will possibly be submitted aimed at restricting to a greater extent the volume of local body commitments in this respect.

LAND AGGREGATION. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. McLeod) recently indicated that legislation would be brought down designed to assist settlers struggling against difficulties on lands which have deteriorated and fallen back into second growth. Further than this, however, the land question is due to receive some attention on general lines, arid if opu portunity offers the problem of aggregation will be tackled and an endeavor made to alter the law so as to encourage the development of virgin areas. Speaking on the East Coast a few months ago, the Minister said that in order that a country should progress it was necessary that smaller holdings should come into existence 1 . He. thought that in the past people had not been sufficiently encouraged to submit their land for sale, to the Crown and was convinced that further avenues could be exploited in the direction of getting them to offer their land. The system of family subdivision was very satisfactory, provided it was a genuine subdivision and not merely a paper, one., The trouble with that form of subdivision was that the gift duties killed it. It paid a man better to purchase an additional piece of land than to cut up his own property. The cost of settling families under that system should be made lower, so that people would be encouraged to subdivide. Speaking at Christchurch last March, the Minister also promised to introduce a Bill giving small ! leaseholders the right to acquire the freehold. Mr McLeod at that time spoke strongly in favor of the freehold tenure as being the best. SOCIAL LEGISLATION. An important measure which has been promised for this session Is one introducing the principle of the contributory pension along the lines of a national insurance scheme. A Royal Commission in Australia, rer cently reported in favor of a system of national insurance being adopted, and in Great Britain the Government has brought in a Pensions Bill framed on a contributory basis. Se far as New Zealand Is concerned it is believed that what the Minister in Charge of Pensions (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) aims at is an extension of the National Provident system on a compulsory universal basis. If this Bill is brought down it will be the most advanced measure of its kind yet submitted in New Zealand. Last year the Minister said he wo'uld bring down such a Bill this year, and it would then be for the electors to say at the general election whether or not they approved of it. Besides pensions, it is possible that an amendment will be submitted by Mr Anderson with the object of liberalising the Workmen's Compensation Act still further. LICENSING AND GAMING. Last session the Jate Prime Minister promised to set up during the recess a committee which would be charged with the duty of examining racing matters generally, including the economic aspect of gambling. For various reasons it has not been possible to set up the committee, but it is believed that something may be done about the matter early in the coming session. • Licensing legislation may be expected to figure on the Government's programme if time and opportunity permits. It will be recalled that last session the Licensing Cbmmit-

tee, in its report, recommended that there should be a nine-year interval between polls; that if prohibition was carried the brewing of beer of 2 per JoeM. strength should be allowed; and that if the country adheres to continuance there should be a ; redistribution of licenses, but no increase in number. Licensing legislation is, of course, non-party in nature, but it is a troublesome subject to mention on the floor of the Reuse, Its appearance this session is. possible,, but, it; would, be risky in. view of- the present political situation, to predict that it was probably * L4ND. TAX ARREARS. Last; session the Land and Income Tax. Act included a provision that of'land tax should be made 4 charge upon the laud. It has since been pointed' out, however, that this was a principle which would not by any means work out equitably in.general, practice in that it was likely to. cau.se hardship to peonie who had bought land subdivided long ago, but on which there Wjere arrears of land tax of which they/ were in total ignorance when th,eX fought., of the laW was '/promised by Sir Francis Bell, to a Labor members'" deputation this year, Sir Francis stating that ppwer v woujd €| taken authorising the CQ.mmissipnejr of Taxes to release any case 'wbfere it was obvious that the person ="woUld be under a hardship when called, upon to pay. ar-r rears of tax. TOBACCONISTS' LICENSES. For,'Bdmie time-past complaint has been made by tobacconists of unfair competition on the part of people who. Sell cigarettes and tobacco in conjunction- with their businesses, but; who do not have to close at the same hours as. tobacconists. It is unoerstodd that a Bill will be presented- providing that all> who sell tobacco ort cigarettes must be licensed; so that t6bacconists will not be subject to unfair competition.

OTHER. MATTERS. The ajjove is just a general outUm of some, of ; the,measures which Parliament may Jfei aiEeiHtedtan opportunity of dealing with, but it can be taken for granted that there are many other matters which will come forward. Desnite the fact, that the. Dominion, i§. now to,maintain two cruisers on the New Zealand station there is believed to be a. likelihood of. ParlJams,nX b.eipg asked to agree to contribute ao.mething.in addition to 1 the cost of,the Singapore naval base. This it has, previously been 'agreed to sft». bujt a|ter the 1923 session the Admiralty'..advised New Zealand to go in fpr a second, crUiser instead. In the. light of this commitment, ]*arlla,nTent may have to consider, whether the country can afford to restore the promised contribution towards, the Singapore scheme. It is scarcely, he expected this session that nothing win be heard during, the* session of dairy control and ho doubt some, members will urge that the\ powers given under the Act 'to the board in,the matter of instituting control should be curbed. It is a,lso, possible that an endeavor will be made to re-cast the method of eleption to the board either on the lines of the ward system, or the electoral college principle. The political outlook is most uncertain at the moment, and the future is in the lap, of the gods, but the Government is.proceeding on thf lines of anticipating a normal session of, say, three months' duration.

Mr R. Masters, M.P., left by the mail train,for this morn-