A LIVELY SESSION..

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 118, 24 June 1914, Page 6

A LIVELY SESSION..

HEAVY PROGRAMME.

IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS

[From our own Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, June 24

Recent predictions to the effect that, this year's session of 'Parliament, which opens on Thursday, will be one of the most strenuous, and the most noticeable, in New Zealand history, seem certain to be confirmed.

' The Government has made up its : mind that, it will face the elections at the end of the year with a good record ;of legislation to its credit.- Already it \ has been responsible for a good deal of ! important and far-reaching enactments, | but it is considered that there is yet a | good deal of work to be done before the ; Reform Administration can fully substantiate its claim to have carried out : all the pledges it made when it took J office. ! To-day the Ministry was in solemn l conclave for many hours, and Cabinet 'met again in the evening.* The only i short interval in the meeting was taken j up by a dinner at which were present his Excellency the Governor and the members of his staff, the Ministers of .the Crown,. the Commandant of the Forces, and members of the general^ staff and the Territorial officers who are attending the conference now in session. The principal object of the dinner was to congratulate the .Governor and Sir Alexander Godley.on the honours just. conferred upon them by his Majesty. From this it will be seen that Ministers had Very little time to devote to the discussion of the prospects of the ses- j sion, but, at the same time, from one j and: another it was possible to obtain some idea of the work which Parliament is expected to do before the elections at j the end of the year. ' ; Principal Measures. I The principal measures which the House will be asked to carry are as follow: — ' The Education Bill. The Biblo-in-Schools Referendum i Bill. The Alien Immigration Bill. The Licensing Bill. The Defamation Bill. A Bill to put into the hands of an independent board the allocation of I moneys for public works. i

From what little has been said today one lias reason to expect that the Governor's Speech will'be a short one, although it will indicate the intention of the Government to make several highly important' additions and amendments to the law of the land.

Appointments to the Legislative Council.

■.: One of the most interesting portions of I-the Speech willbethat containing the list' of new nominees to the Legislative Council. Ever since it has been in power the Reform Government has been trying to pass a Bill to make the Upper House an elective chamber, bui, its intention has always been defeated by the Couucil itself. The fortuitous accident that so many members /«f the Council forfeited 'their seats during the recess lias enabled the Government to replace them- —or at least as many of them as is necessary for the purposeby members who can be relied on for support of the Reform Bill. Various members of the Government have stated of late that they are determined that the Bill shall go through. For this reason "the new appointments to the Council should be the most interesting made for many years. The principle of the Bill, whielt was fairly fully described in THE SUN in a recent interview with the Hon. H. 1). Bell in Christchurch, is that the members of the Council should be elected on the proportional representation system, by four big electorates, two in each Islam!. The Education Bill will be one of the first of the big Government measures to be laid beforjs, the House. It is now being revised by the Crown law draughtsman and will soon be ready to be submitted to Cabinet. Provision is made for the increase in the salary of teachers, improvement and increase in the stafring of schools, and promotiou ] will be made easier.

.1 Contentious Matters. A very ticklish question is that of the Bible in Schools. A Bill will probably be introduced providing for the taking of a referendum on the subject, but it will not be until a later stage in the session.

j A question which has attracted a I great deal of attention of late is that ! oi alien immigration, the matter having become more .iqute owing to the noticeable increase in the number of Hindus in the Dominion, principally in the Auckland province. It is-consider-ed almost a certainty that legislation will be brought down to deal with the whole question of immigration. Another Bill will be introduced with the object. of setting the whole question of immigration on a more satisfactory footing. The Licensing Bill, which has already been explained at length, proposes to reduce the majority necessary to carry national prohibition from 60 to 55 per cent. This Bill will make an earlv appearance, and it is thought that it"-will result in very Jong discussion. An important feature of this Bill, as the Prime Minister points put, is that it is purely a non-party measure. He recognises that many, if not most. of the members have given election pledges \ou this very controversial question, and he will not ask any member to break his pledge. The Defamation Bill was before the House last, year, and a determined effort is to be made to get it through this ses- j sion. It proposes to give to the neAvs- j papers a free hand in criticism. . i One of the most important, measures of all is that recently described by ,the Hon. Mr Bell to a ISI'N representative as the most important work of the session. This is the Bill to set up an independent authority for the allocation of grants to local bodies, so as to do away with' political patronage in this connection, as. has already been done in the case of appointments to the Civil Service. Other Bills will deal with the tenure of West Coast lands, the raising of a

loan for new railway stations and other buildings and details of municipal and county Jaw. - The City Electorates. One of the most eagerly expected • ! measures is the "Electoral Bill, but it is impossible at present to get any idea as to what the Government proposestto dot The only amendment which is likely to be made during the. coming session is that for the grouping of the city electorates; should this be the case each of the four principal centres will, probably be asked to return five members. It is quite, obvious that there is considerable difference of opinion among members of Cabinet on this question, and it is-unlikely that the Bill will go further. It can be taken for certain, at any rate, that the Government will not propose any radical change in the system of representation, if only for the reason that the people would not have time to become acquainted with it before the election comes on.

The programme of work for the next few days has been more or less definitely fixed. After the reading of the Cover* nor's Speech on Thursday both Houses will have to transact a/certain amount of routine business. On Friday an Imprest Supply Bill will be introduced into the House of Representatives, and it is expected that it will provoke a long and strenuous discussion. The debate on the Address-in-Reply will commence on Tuesday. The Temper of the Opposition.

On all hands there-are-predictions of a very bitter session. Last year Parliament gained for itself somewhat of a reputation for stonewalling; but this y " year, if the temper of the House is to be judged by that of the members al- , ready in Wellington, there will be even - more arduous times. The Opposition is determined to make every post a win- '- ner, and there ks not a single proposal ■■■ of the Government, on any question which remotely involves party policy, which will not be fought to the last ditch. ■ : ■ .. -i

LOBBY GOSSIP.

WELLINGTON, June, 24.

Most members are now in Wellington, * and the prospects, of the session, are be- • ginning to be eagerly discussed. There can be not a shadow of -- t doubt that the session will history and go on record as one of- the hardest fought New'' Zealand has seen. The Liberals Mill fight every inch. It is quite on the cards that ,' the very first night will see a determinecl stonewall on the Imprest Supply Bill, and that discussion will carry over, far into Saturday morning.

, All the Ministers are now accommodated in their sessional offices, in the House, *-except Mr Fisher, who arrives" from Auckland this afternoon, aiHb I>r Poinare, who will reach Wellingtons-in the Tutanekai to-morrow.

The House has been thoroughly reno-. vate<l throughout, special attention " being paid to the vexed question of venti-, lation. It is anticipated that the House will not need further attention before' ' / the new chambers are ready for .occupation. .'"•'■ "

The most interesting, subject of discusf.sion is the Legislative Council appeinti.mentg necessary to secure the passing ! of the Reform. Bill. . During the -recess I the terms "of KI councillors expired, and •.:' f the terms, of two others, the Hon. J. E. JLenkinsoii' and the Hon. J..Bigg,iexpii-«. . •< on July .1. Two members, the Hon. -J.. :■ •: ■■■: Barr 'and : the Hon v .)'".,. T.. Pa,\d, have \n ■--.* already been, -'reappointed,- It is, prai?-,....-.-. tically certain that the majority,*>£ ih&J -other I.H will not be brought back. Three ■■• . of theiri 1 , the Hons. Anstey, Loughnaii ti ' and Samuel, voted against the: ; -Govevn-- ..; ment in the division which, killed... the Reform Bill la!-t session, and they cannot, therefore, be expected to get a place i : - in a council primarily chosen to pass the ' n measure. The Hons. Callan, Collins, - Luke, Sinclair, and Smith voted for the and some of them may be again-., seen in their places". The reappointment ; >. of the Hon. CM. Luke is regarde<l as , extremely probable as he has always '.••'•'. been a. useful member. The Hon. Sinclair, who was a strong supporter of the elective principle "during the debates last ~ session, stands a good chance of recall, . The reappointment of raie others is.problematical. Notwithstanding that he «ip-r. ported the Bill, the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson is almost sure to be dropped!. The lion. J. Bigg's chances are not very bright. It is assured that there will be a great infusion of new blood and, the nominees will be well-known supporters of' the Reform Party. One name consistently K " t mentioned is Mr E. W. Alison, of Auckland, who eat' for some years in the (1 Lower House Athen the Reformevs,.were"; .'

in opposition. Mr G. J. Garlandj "a pro- ".,., minent Auckland • Reformer,- is men- '■'/ tioue<l, but one •would not like" to stake'' too much on his chance. A fair tion of nominees will be Canterbury menj but apart; from Mr R. Moore, chairman' of the Lyttelton Harbour Boafdj no nsme are definitely stated. As . the majority.against the Bill"last year ;•' was only one, it is bound to be carried :; '* this session. .