A useful Land Surveyors Act was passed, requiring registration after approval of candidates by a board to be constituted under the Act, and prescribing a variety of other regulations for the purposes of securing the competence and protecting the interests of surveyors generally. Other measures placed on the Statute-book included an Old Age Pensions Act, which has now lapsed in consequence of the passing of a Commonwealth pensions law; an Act for the Inspection of Machinery and Scaffolding; an amending Factories and Shops Act containing many democratic provisions; a Wages Boards Act, which has been kindly taken to by both employers and employed, and promises to adjust most of the differences between masters and men; a Religious Instruction in State Schools Referendum Act, the poll to be taken on the same day as the polling for the first Federal election after the passing of the Act; and an amending Technical College Act dissolving the councils of both metropolitan technical colleges, and vesting the property and future management in the Government. Two bills were also passed authorising the construction of railways to the Mount Elliott and Lawn Hills mineral fields. These bills directly led to the Labour party assuming an attitude of open hostility to the Government, and brought the latter and the Opposition, led by Mr. Philp, together, as the policy put before the electors by these two parties was identical in almost every respect. Before the opening of the second session on 17th November, 1908, the Kidston and Philp parties were fused into one on the common basis of the policy enunciated by Mr. Kidston in 1907 at Rockhampton. A reconstruction of the Cabinet preceded the meeting of Parliament. When the session closed on 22nd December very little legislative work had been done, most of the Government time being occupied with consideration of the Estimates, the Labour party, which had then become the Opposition proper, again offering obstruction to Government measures, and again compelling resort to the closure. An important measure of a non-party character was passed, however, for a revision of the statute law in many important details. The most significant measure of the session was the Loan Act of 1908, authorising the borrowing of L3,208,000, the vote affording proof of the determination of the Government and Parliament to enter upon a vigorous policy of railway and public works extension. The third session of the seventeenth Parliament opened on 29th June, 1909. The two sides of the House were so evenly balanced, owing to several supporters of the Government having crossed to the Opposition benches, that the majority of the Government was reduced to one. Finding themselves impotent to transact public business, the Government advised the Lieutenant-Governor to grant a dissolution, provided the House would grant Supply. This was done, and His Excellency accordingly dissolved the Assembly on 31st August.