The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1906. THE SESSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8705, 20 August 1906, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1906. THE SESSION.

The session- -which, will open to-morrolf will probably have two outstanding features. It will be brief and it will be devoid of drastio reforms. Of Hrn brevity there cannot be much doubtsAugust is drawing to a close, and Par-, liament has therefore little more than two months to sit, if, as i» probable, •it is to rise in, time for the opening of the International Exhibition on .No*- - vember 1. A brief period of eighti weeks will suffice for little besides the routine work of the session. It will certainly not allow for the undertaking} of a comprehensive programme of new} legislation 6uch as might have been brought down had the session opened in June. Owing, perhaps, to the faofc that the Cabinet 1s a newly-constructed one, and that Ministers have seen littU of one another since they were sworn in, there has been a good deal of reticence: regarding the Government's policy.; Among circles which are usually wtell-i informed regarding the Ministerial mii tentions little is definitely known.. IH seems probable that the Government will not be able to get through the session without making reference to the 1 lands and tariff questions, but it ifl extremely unlikely that it will toucfai either except in a tentative manner*! No attempt to deal with' them exhaustively wiir be made until next year./ Among; the necessary business which &■• will be impossible to postpone is th*i commercial treaty with the Commoo* wealth, and, doubtless, the question of the ocean mail services will also be discussed. The Premier may have proposals to make regarding a reciprocal treaty with the United /States and-pos* eibly with Canada, and it is within %h4 bounds of possibility that he may bring down the long-promised measure in favour of hospital and charitable aid administration reform. It may betaken , for granted, however, that he will make no attempt this session to revise th« constitution of the Legislative Council, and that he will refrain, as far as poe> ■ eible from introducing oonfcroverata! measures of any kind. On the othef hand, it is safe to predict that he will exert himself to put through the business of the session as expeditiously ad possible. Whether or not Sir Joseph! \ Ward willjOontinue the foxoef ol methodi of his predecessor remains to be seen. But we shall be greatly surprised if we hear many more complaints of "legislation by exhaustion." Late sittings, <)2 course^ will be necessary in view of the 1 limited amount of time st the disposal of the Government; but it may be regarded as certain that they will be avoided whenever possible, and that no pains will be spared to transact the business of the session within reasonable hours. We shall be much mistaken if the lines of the legislator, under Sir Joseph Ward «re not ©«* in more pleasant places than when Mr Seddon led the House. '' ■ . .