Thirty Bills Yet.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 935, 4 December 1933, Page 8

Thirty Bills Yet .

Busy Days Ahead.

Present Session May End by December IS. (“Star” Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, December 3. JJECEMBER 15 is the probable date for the end of the present session of Parliament. Before then over thirty Bills of one kind or another are to be dealt with, as well as discussions on departmental reports and the passage of the remainder of the Estimates. The position at the moment is that there are seven Government Bills on the order paper awaiting either the second reading or committee stages, another eight are before various committees, and a further fifteen private members’ measures await consideration. Of these, it can be safelysaid that fourteen will not get any further, for this session at any rate. The only one which is likely to be adequately discussed is Mr E. F. Healy’s Gaming Amendment Bill, seeking to legalise the transmission of bets to racecourses by telegraph, to establish the double totalisator, and to authorise the publication of dividends. The Prime Minister (Mr Forbes) has given Mr Healy an assurance that a day will be set aside for the consideration of this Bill, but that does not mean that it will pass. Mr Healy is confident that this Bill will become law, but it will probably be found when the test comes that the measure will be “ talked out ” —that is, that the discussion will not be completed when the time allotted for it has expired. Bills That Will Pass. Of the Government Bills yet to be dealt with, it is considered to be certain that the Municipal Corporations Consolidation, which is at present before the Local Bills Committee, will be passed. The committee will conclude the taking of evidence on Tuesday, and it will then consider the representations which have been made to it and report to the House. This report may be presented on Thursday. The Dairy Amendment Bill, prohibiting suppliers changing from one factory to another during a season, is to come down this week, and it will go through, whatever else is left undone. The Transport Bill, setting up a controlling body to establish co-ordina-tion between various forms of transport is also expected to make an appearance this week. It is also expected that the outstanding clauses in the Companies Bill will be brought before the House w T ithin the next few days. The Mortgagors Relief Consolidation . Bill, bringing the whole of this legislation up to date, is expected within a few days, and the Government is keen that it should be passed this session. Of the Government Bills which are likely to go overboard, two which can be considered to be almost certainties are the Stock Remedies Bill and the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports) Bill. Other Business. The legislative programme is not the only work which still awaits the House. It will take at least another two days to complete the passing of the Estimates and another day to deal with the Public Works expenditure. Then the Prime Minister has given an undertaking to permit the annual reports of the Mental Hospitals and Health Departments to be debated, while the Postmaster-General (the Hon Adam Hamilton) is to make a further statement concerning the future of B class radio stations and the policy which is to be in force after March 31 next. The whole subject of petrol supplies will probably be discussed on the Aoot of the House this week, as it is understood that the Industries and Commerce Committee is ready to report on the petition of the Associated Motorists’ Petrol Company and others asking for a fixed minimum price. Whatever recommendation the committee has to make, there is sure to be a whole afternoon's discussion at least.