The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1903. THE COMING SESSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7726, 9 June 1903, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1903. THE COMING SESSION.

The opening of Parliament is near .at hand. On June 29, to be precise, the first session of the new Parliament will be- inaugurated in Wellington with the meaningless forms and customs associated with these occasions. But here empty formality i? likely to end. . Judging from the signs of the times, tie remainder of the session will be <levoted to business, and, moreover, to business of an extremely practical kind. On all sides it is predicted that the session will bo a lively, as well as a busy, one. The Premier himself said as much at Hokitikaon Friday evening, when he declared that "the coming session would be one of the most importaint in tho annals of the country." These are high-sounding words which, in this instance, may be taken to mean less than at first sight they would appear to indicate. But there is no need to take Mr Seddon's remarks too literally. It is sufficient that they confirm our own opinion that the session is likely to be a notable one. for many reasons. In his forecast Mr Seddon mentioned between thirty and forty new measures or amendments which, it was proposed to' bring forward. The length of this programme, of course prohibits the possibility of all these items being dealt with this year, and nobody, we should say, realises this fact more clearly than the Premier. But we are not sorry nevertheless that he mentioned them all. The. mere fact of his doing so can do- no harm, and it is evidence that he has not overlooked a great deal of legislation which all good Liberals hope will ultimately find its way into the Statute Book. Among the subjects mentioned by Mr Seddon- the question of the trade relations of the Empire stood first and foremost. We haive already referred to this subject, and there is no necessity to return to it for the present. Next in order of precedenca we should be inclined to place the amendment to the licensing laws. This is a question of pressing importance, a fact which Mr Seddon shoAved that he fully realised. The voiding of some of the local option polls, taken last December, and the partisan feeling imparted into the administration of their duties by licensing committees, are of themselves two sufficient reasons for amending the law, and there are other reasons 'for a change which no doubt will commend themselves to the extremists on either side. Then there is the question of State fire insurance. Here, again*, the Premier promised an early~move on the part of the Government, and we see no< reason to doubt his promise. Judging from the tone of his remarks, he is particularly eager to establish a State Fire Insurance Department, and, in spite of the inevitable op- j position which the proposal is meeting from vested interests, we ara satisfied, provided he is sincere, that he will succeed. The measures we have mentioned would, if they were exhaustively debated, occupy a- considerable part of an average session. But in the case of the coming session they represent but a small portion of the programme. The Government has also foreshadowed amendments to the labour laws -designed to benefit urban workers, amendments to the Land Act, tne Crown Tenants' Rebate of lß<ite Act, the Lands for Settlement Act and rating on unimproved values amendment. In addition to the foregoing, we are promised legislation to deal with the safe of the colony's frozen produce in England, a measure , designed to restrict trusts and combines ; a much-needed alteration in the law under which Supreme Court Judges are appointed, the Referendum and a host of Bills affecting the welfare of the-electors in a gi'eate-r or lesser degree. If one-third of the measures promised find their way on to the Order Paper, and if only a portion of these are debated, the session will certainly be a long one, and, perhaps, " one of the most important in the annals of the colony*" ' .