COMING SESSION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 698, 6 May 1916, Page 8

COMING SESSION.

» COMPREHENSIVE FORECAST. IMPORTANT LEGISLATION PREPARED. THE COMPULSION BILL. [Special to The Cun.7 WELLINGTON, May 5. Members of Parliament are beginning to arrive in Wellington in readiness for the session which commences on Tuesday. The Parliamentary Buildings are being prepared rapidly for occupation. Already gossip of politics is beginning to be audible in the lobbies. Members are expecting a busy and interesting session. Attention tends to centre upon the i Military Service Bill, which is exI pected to make its appearance in the early days of the session. The ; scope of the measure is not in doubt. ; It will provide for compulsory enlistment, if necessary, of all men of I military age for service with the i Expeditionary Forces, and to that extent will run parallel with the I Rill now before the Imperial Pari liamen! But there is plenty of I room for speculation regarding the l details of the Bill, and members of ! Cabinet naturally are reticent on the point. The Prime Minister told your correspondent to-night that Ministers had completed consideration of the Draft Rill, and had sent it forward to be printed, with amendments made in Cabinet. It is predicted confidently that the Military Service Bill will operate in connection with the recruiting districts, and that some method of ballot will be used in the selection of men from the groups, as required. The avenues of enlistment will be kept clear for volunteers, and the compulsory system will not come into operation in any district if sufficient volunteers j arc offering. When compulsion is necessary, I single men without dependents undoubtedly will be taken first, and 1 married men with families last. j Members of the Government will not take up an uncompromising atI titude. They will be prepared to admit that the measure is capable of ; improvement. Liberalising War Pensions. The promised amendment to the War Pensions Act has also received a great deal of attention from Cabinet. The measure, said the Prime Minister to-day, is now ready for presentation to Parliament. The : Rill proposes to liberalise the War Pensions Act, particularly in rela- | tion to wives and children. Iriime- | diate dependents, at any rate, will | be assured of receiving pensions in the event of the soldier's death, regardless of any moderate income that may have been left them. The Pensions Board has put this principle into operation already, but legal enactment is required in order to make the position quite secure from the point of view of the soldier who wants his dependents to be absolutely protected. Finding the Money. The session will see important financial proposals, but few hints have been allowed to escape the Ministers regarding their nature. It is taken for granted that the Government will ask for additional taxation, and for authority to borrow on a fairly large scale. The Minister of Finance is reserving for the House the Dominion accounts for the financial year closed on March 31. In the meantime there is some doubt regarding the requirements of New Zealand in the way of extra taxation. The year 1910-17 is expected to be a difficult one, in spite of the surplus brought forward. The Minister of Finance is likely to have an eye upon war profits, when he brings down his proposals. There has been a suggestion that the income tax exemption may be lowered. A local war loan is regarded in some quarters as probably among the other Rills of the session. Liquor Control. Tnere will be important amendments and additions to the War Regulations Act. The Prime Minister stated in this connection that any powers required by the Government in connection with the control of the liquor traffic during the war period will be taken under the War Regulations Act. The Ministry is determined to prevent enemy trading by every means in its power, and will ask for any additional authority needed to that end. The Censorship. It is possible that Ministers may think it necessary to ask for extended authority in dealing with breaches of censorship rules. There has been of laxity in connection with the publication of information proscribed by the military authorities. , Another of the Government Rills will deal with the provision of land for soldiers on a more extended scale than anything yet attempted.

Brevity to be Encouraged. Regarding the length of the session, political prophets are unable to agree. Members see no real reason why they should not complete their work within three months, but they are evidently dubious regarding the chances of getting away so speedily. Parliament has never shown any readiness to concentrate attention on things that matter, and opportunities for wasting time se n m likely to be as plentiful this year as previously. Members have grievances to state, "scandals" to ventilate; there are Ministers to be heckled, and electioneering speeches to be made. It is possible that considerations yet to be placed before members will tend to promote brevity of speech.