ANOTHER EIGHT WEEKS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3327, 20 September 1911, Page 5

ANOTHER EIGHT WEEKS

WHEN PARLIAMENT WILL RISE

PRIME MINISTER’S ESTIMATE.

FIRST OR SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. 10-monw and on all subsequent ednesday s of the session Government business will bo given precedence in tlie proceedings of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister's proposal was carried by tlie House this afternoon without any comment from members.

Sir J. Ward submitted his motion with a remark that it was intended to expedite the business of the session His experience had been that the days allotted to private members had been largely wasted. Occasionally work had been done, but. members would agree that little or. nothing had been effected on the Wednesdays of this session. In the circumstances he was entitled to ask that an opportunity should be given to proceed with Government business upon the completion of the Budget debate. The Prime Minister added that there was a good l deal of! work to be done before the end of the session. At the close of the debate upon which the House was engaged the consolidated estimates would have to be dealt with and the Government had some important bills that required to be proceeded with and placed on the Statute Book this session. The Public Works Statement andi Estimates were to be dealt with, so that there was as much work for the House as it could possibly deal with before finally rising in the first or second week in November, when it seemed likely the session would close. He expected that by the middle of October members would he anxious to return to their districts, but he asked them to remain until the work of the session had been done, and opportunity would be given later in the session for the consideration of important local Bills. Sir Joseph Ward added that the Government would be guided entirely by the progress of the business, and lie hoped that the sittings would be confined to reasonable hours. Notwithstanding the Prime Minister’s estimate, most of the members think the session will end in October.