HEAVY WORK AHEAD.
PARLIAMENTARY PROSPECTS. A CHAT WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. [From Our Correspondent.] '' WELLINGTON, May 15. "It is going to bo a heavy session for work." declared the Prime Minister when . a representative of the " Lyttelton Times" asked him ior an outline of the Government's programme to-day. Mr Massey indicated that Cabinet has still to finally discuss the programme, so that he could not say definitely, for instance, where the big question of tariff revision will come in, but he assured me that all Ministers have their projected measures well in hand, and there will he no stint of work when legislators meetThen Mr Massey rapidly surveyed the position. " We will have to take the most urgent measures firsthand there are several to begin with. Bills dealing with land have to be passed, and one of these wijl be a consolidation of the land settlement finance system which is working well, but is capable of improvement.
" Labour legislation must bo considered, and I have an important consolidating measure." " Will it contain some innovations? " " Yes; I propose to malte changes and improvements. There is to bo_ a Native Land Bill and the Legislative Council Reform Bill." " Where will the Reform Bill originate this time?" I asked. "Will you give the Lower House the first chance of considering it? " "Yes; it will start in the House of Representatives next session," was the Prime Minister's reply. "And_do you propose to help it through the Upoer House by introducing some fresh faces?" was my next query, but to this Mr Massey gave the guarded answer that Cabinet had yet to consider that matter. Banking legislation _as recently outlined by the Prime Minister came next on the' list. He answered a question by stating that the new system of Civil Service control appeared to be working bo smoothly that it did not appear that any amending Bill would be necessary. Licensing was not as urgent a question as those involved in the Bills enumerated, while mention of the electoral law caused _ the Prime Minister to observe that it was another thing which depended on the time available.
"We have to take more urgent measures first," he concluded.
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Star (Christchurch), Issue 10770, 16 May 1913, Page 1
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363HEAVY WORK AHEAD. Star (Christchurch), Issue 10770, 16 May 1913, Page 1
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