THE SESSION ENDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 110, 30 October 1911, Page 8

THE SESSION ENDS.

CLOSING SCENES. MAORI HOLDS UP BUSINESS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The last session of Parliament closed last night. For sonic; considerable time during the afternoon the whole work of Parliament was blockeil by Hon. Wi Pore, the Maori member in the Upper House, because he could not get a clause in one of the Bills framed to his satisfaction. The two Houses disagreed, and it took three conferences and a good deal of persuasion with the representative of the native race to effect a compromise. Just about six o'clock it really seemed as if the persistent Maori might ikeep the Parliament going into next week.

While the House was waiting for the printing office to catch up with its great press of work, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition made valedictory speeches in regard to those members who are voluntarily severing their connection with the House of Representatives. •Sir Win, Steward, Messrs. Lawry, Parata, Hall, Dillon and Phillips spoke in reply, and the House adjourned till 10 p.m. On resuming, the usual friendly speeches by the leaders on each • side ol the House were made, and the usual compliments to Mr. Speaker and the chairman of committees. There was then a long delay owing to the printing office having difficulty in getting the Bills printed in time for the Governor's signature. It was midnight before the session ended, the last division was taken, and "Auld Lang Syne" and the National Anthem sung. The southern steamer was delayed to enable the southern members to reach their homes expeditiously, and for the northern members especially a train was waiting at the North Island Main Trunk terminus. The members were all very tired, and extremely glad to get. away.

THE WORK REVIEWED. "OF GREAT VALUE TO THE COUNTRY." SPEECH BY THE PREMIER. Wellington, Saturday Night. In moving the second reading of the Appropriation Bill, Sir Joseph Ward congratulated members on the work that had been done. He had had, he said, tu give instructions to his lawyers to proceed against a newspaper for what he considered a gross libel, and but for an explanatory statement he -would have proceeded 1 against a private individual. He regarded the work done by Parliament as of great value to the country, and in this connection he instanced tho. Widows' Pensions Bill, a measure which had been adopted in no other country. The. State Note Issue Bill would also be of considerable value to the Do- ; minion, and in his opinion would make for material improvement in the condition of the country in case of a crisis i taking place. He went on to say that the proposed system o|f farmers' cooperative banks was going to help the small farmers by enabling them to get that help which not infrequently they could not get from private lending institutions. The amendment to the Duties Act would be the means of producing taxation .from estates which in the past had not contributed to the revenue.

THE OIL INDUSTRY. The assistance given to the oil industry would, he believed, prove of a practicahle nature, and assist in putting the industry on a commercially sound basis, separate from monopolies of other countries. Not only had exploration been carried out. but help had been given in the remission of customs duty on imported machinery for oil boring purposes, and in this connection he stated that a new and much quicker system of boring had been invented and would soon be at work here. The result, he believed, would be to develop the industry to an extent not hitherto contemplated. He was sorry they had not been able to carry out the legislation proposed for the development of

TOTE IRON INDUSTRY. The Government would go carefully into the matter during the recess. If it could be done on a proper basis, it would be a geod thing if the iron industry was established in the Dominion, and he believed that eventually it would be a good asset to the Dominion.