LENGTH OF SESSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 149, 26 June 1931, Page 8

LENGTH OF SESSION

PRIME MINISTER'S HOPE CONCLUSION IN AUGUST MONEY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. PORTFOLIO FOR MH. VEITCH. WELLINGTON, June 24 An indication that he will seek rhe dissolution of Parliament not later than iho end of August was given by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, in announcing that, provided the Government survived tho passing of the Taxing Bills, he would be able to bring the session to a close within about weeks from the opening of the session to-monow. Although it is the Prime Minister’s intention to introduce the Budget as soon as he can, he has already sain it will not. be ready for presentation until the end of July. Mr. Forbes made it quite clear to-day that the Government’s legislative programme will be unusually small. He mentioned that even tho usually familiar Land Laws Amendment Bill would probably be dispensed with this session m an effort to reduce the amount of legislation. Original Plan Abandoned. Economic forces apparently have compelled tho Government to abandon its original intention to make the coming session a working one, instead of that usually associated with an election year. The opinion has been expressed in various quarters that the Prime Minister himself would welcome an early dissolution, and this assumption is borne out by the fact that only enough legislation will bo introduced to occupy the House for what Mr. Forbes estimates to be a month after the Budget. With the appointment of the Railways Board and the consequent dwindling of tho powers and duties of the Minister of Railways, the Cabinet has agreed that another portfolio could reasonably be given to the Hon. W. A. Veitch. Unliko other Ministers, Mr. Veitch holds only the one portfolio, i which has become something in the nature of a sinecure. A significant announcement was made by tho Prime Minister to-day to the effect that Mr. Veitch would sponsor tho Transport Bill this session. This bill is regarded by the Government as being second only in importance to the taxing measures, for the proposals to bring about co-ordination of road and rail transport is bound up intimately with tho problem of eliminating wasteful competition, and thereby assisting toward placing the national finances on a sounder basis. Defence Amendment Bill. In view of the Government’s insistence upon the necessity of co-ordina-ting transport services and che closer connection between railways and highways problems, Mr. Forbes indicated that Mr. Veitch would probably be asked to accept the portfolio of Transport, at present held by tho Hon. W, B. Taverner. Mr. Veitch was Minister of Transport in 1929 when he introduced the original Transport Bill, which was subsequently dropped. It was learned to-day that the Government is engaged on the preparation of a Defence Amendment Bill to give legislative authority for tho operation of the voluntary training system and the incidental reorganisation of the territorial forces. The measure to provide extra money for unemployment reilcf is anxiously awaited, but so far the Prime Minister is reticent ‘concerning the means by which this is to be provided. The Cabinet has been busily engaged upon the drawing up of proposals affecting this and other bills, but the indications arc that there will be a rush to have the unemployment legislation ready for presentation to the House by Friday. Reducing Education Costs. Mr. Forbes said to-day that owing to the pressure of business since tho conclusion of the emergency session, he would be unable to appoint tho promised non-Parliamentary committee on education, and the commission to investigate the incidence of local body taxation until some time during the session. The efforts of the education committee will be directed toward reducing the vost of education, which is at present over £4,500,000. It has been shown already by the Economy Committee that the cost can be cut down by £250,000 without any great effort, but the committee will be asked to go much further than this. The curtailment of the cost of local body administration and incidentally of taxation will be aimed at by tho special commission, by which means the Government hopes to lighten the burden upon rural ratepayers.