POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2679, 8 December 1909, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE LAND QUESTION.

(Special to “Times.'’) WELLINGTON. Dec. 7. The position in regard to the land Laws Amendment Bill, which I sent last night, is not likely to be altered, so far as I can gather, by the result of the Government caucus to-day. All that was definitely decided was that the leaseholders, who had been blocking the Bill by debating the report of the Land Committee, should cease the discussion, and that the Bill should be permitted to reach the floor of the House. There seems to have been some vague proposal that something would be done by wav of compromise, so as to meet the leaseholders in certain directions, and it is understood that a conference will be held to decide the points of concession. Whether this is done or not _a, strong opinion prevails in the lobbies that the Bill will have to be dropped. Most of the leaseholders on the_ Ministerial side, while desirous of saving the Government as much as possible, are not likely to sacrifice their declared convictions on the leasehold tenure, and even if they were prepared to do so. the freeholders on the Opposition side, who. are satisfied with the Bill up to a certain point, would step in and retard its progress if the freehold concessions were in any way lessened. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE FREEHOLD. The struggle for the freehold was renewed to-night on the Land for Settlement Administration Bill iiTcommittee, and, although no victory was gained by the Opposition, it indjeafec that thev are hopeful of increasing the freehold concessions already promised. LEGISLATION BY EXHAUSTION. It lias been decided by the Government caucus that the session shall close on the 22nd inst.. and that from Monday next the House shall sit from 10 a.rn. until any hour of the night which the strongest party may deem most suitable for their purposes. Sir Joseph Ward has almost- daily averred that he does not believe in legislation bv exhaustion. He savs the proposal for day and night sittings is to facilitate the business, but a considerable section of the House holds that it is utterly impossible to produce satisfactory legislation under the proposed conditions.