THE END OF THE SESSION.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 12975, 14 December 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE END OF THE SESSION.

(From "The Colonist," Dec. 5.) The session of Parliament which closed on Saturday constituted a record in more than the mere length of time which it occupied. It has been remarkable also for the volume of highly important legislation placed upon the Statute Book, some of it involving distinct innovations in tho national life of the Dominion. It was remarked early in the session that it would, be a notable, one if it sufficed to do no .more than put the question of defence on a satisfactory and stable j footing. This has been accomplished, and what is more, accomplished with virtual unanimity. There could be no more hopeful augury for the future of the new system of internal defence than, the fact that it was launched by the cordial co-operation of the great sections of political opinion, by the aid of the spirit of compromise indispensable in the inauguration of great reforms. It would be impossible in the limits of a short article to even crystallise all, the enactments of the session- which are worthy: of note, but some of them may be briefly, alluded to. In the direction of developmental works, the outstanding feature is, of course, the Aid to Water Power Works Act, under which the' question of the commercial value to the Dominion of its immense water power resources, which: -has been much discussed for some years, is about to be put to a practical test. The first to be undertaken is the Lake Coleridge scheme, the development of which either by thei State or private enterprise, has been consistently demanded by Christchurch for a long time, and as to the success 1 of which the expert, reports in the hands of the Government leave little room for speculation. The Tesults of the scheme, will* be awaited with general interest. In the domain of social legislation the Licensing and Gaming- Amendment Acts are attempts' to reach some degree of finality in two very knotty problems, and the reforms in the peual laws of the Dominion, which have' been previously discussed in these columns, deal with an equally urgent question on promising lines. In the same category may be placed the Indecent Publications Act, which furnishes machinery to cope with an expanding evil for which there should be no room at all in a young, vigorous anof healthy country. The National Provident Fund 'Act forms a notable addition to the hu- ! manitarian laws of the Dominion, and one of winch „jvide r advantage shoultf o© taken. !Ebe Pi>blic "Debt Extinction Bill, is also of great importance in connection with the future financial operations of the Dominion. No less than 116 public Bills received the Royal assent, so that the session was an unusually busy as well as an extremely useful one.