HOTEL HOURS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15658, 2 August 1916, Page 7

HOTEL HOURS.

THE EARLY CLOSING | MOVEMENT. DEBATE' IN HOUSE ON WAtt REGULATIONS 13IJLL. ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT. BILL PASSED FINAL STAGES. (SPECIAL TO "TH3 PRESS.") WELLINGTON, August 1. Sinco the defeat of tho early closing I movement in the Committee stage of the War Regulations Bill, considerable feeling, and even bitterness, has exist>d between some members of the House, and th 0 expectation roigned that on the third reading of the measure this feeling would be manifested by some strong speeches from the defeated side. Wh<in the third reading was called on thia evening, the Attorney-General merely formally moved the motion for the "Bill to bo read a third time, after which Mr Isitt rose to speak. So important did Mr Isitt regard the position that instead of trusting to his natural eloquence, he read a prepared statement. In this ho said lie desired to refer to the very embarrassing position be found himself in, when Sir Joseph Ward said that a prominent member of the Temperance Party had told him that if anti-shouting were conceded, the temperance sentiment would bo satisfied and would ask for nothing more. Ho "did not question for one moment Sir Joseph Ward's bona fides. Tho difference between them was an unfortunate one and was an honest misunderstanding,' for which he himself took his full share of responsibility, inasmuch as it •vras his duty when he epoke to Sir Joseph Ward to havo safeguarded against misunderstanding by a direct statement that ho could not tio tho Temperance Party to any compact whatever. He wished to emphasise the point that this misunderstanding had occurred some time ago, and the report of that misunderstanding could not rjossibly bo' held responsible for this 7HH, -which was introduced into the House on .Tune 13th. Directly the Bill iras introduced he said he hoped the ... Government would take note of tile lnagnificent effort of the people of New South. Wales, and enlargo the provisions of the Bill-by limiting tho hours for tiie sale of alcohol. This surely showed that ho recognised no compact, and •even supposing that he had made such a compact, the Government must have recognised that ho had made it without any warrant or authority. OTHER EVIDENCE. , Between his conversation with Sir Joseph Ward and June 13th, the New , Zealand Alliance approached the Primo Minister and urged six o'clock closing. Ou Mav 29th ap. Auckland deputation urged the Government in tho same direction. On June 7th he himself introduced a deputation to the Prime Minister which declared, that nothing Ips» than six o'clock closing would satisfy the temperance sentiment of the country, and urged the Primo Minister to give, a referendum. On June 3rd a mass meeting tfa* held in Christchurch. and a similar resolution was forwarded to the Primo Minister. Tho Prime Minister on several occasions ■j told members that tho subject was hcl ing considered by the M t 0 Z Petition* Committee and that the subject j would bo considered when that Coniinittcc'ri report was presented. This : t. did not square with tho contention that the Government wa, committed t 0 a ; compact with tho Temperance Party. Jf the Government felt that it was so •];.,£ounu it was open to it to hjtimato to that .he .had misled them, haw been very loyal to the : National Government, and I mean to .: .4?%™ T, tinp e • -to be loyal," said Mr Isitt, • 'but that loyalty does not demand that - .r/- U snould. be made .the scapegoat for ,V in this matter and with all tho V 'tion 1 rcfuse to aocp P t th <> posi- . .. AGGRIEVED FEELINGS. , What inference, continued Mr Isitt, . "'d the National Government wish tho P CO P'c to draw? -Did they Want tho to believe that if this misunder- ■ ' •?' standing had not occurred would u, have given mdro drastic legislation? fel#. ono could believe that the Governwould, ever have given six o'clock The legislation in the Bill was because, after long consideration, ':^ i y er, * ni ?Dt. came to the conclusion previsions were the least quota reform they could dole out in view tho demand of the people for more anti-liquor war measures. Wo t6 . arry nine o'clock closing by Several members had extheir intention of voting for 9 p.m., but on the declara- ' the * Government that they by tho Bill, and nothing their vote loyalty to their leaders, and y carr ' e< l nothing. V?® 1 stron gly aggrieved at ' Isitt went on to say. "and c tell the Government frankly ... I think the PiW-w? • ® overnmen t could havo done IP&.fS; 8 ' $ mem bers that they were W' ow their own convictions on Point, but instead of this the Gow%v^a?nei, t m ado it absolutely a Governmeasure. To the three members SfeS who voted for nine c,osi,1 S lam grateful. The GopfeSsJ'tot wfl! find that ,in what I have express the opinion not of exout, of the huge number of Cornell of all political parties 0 National Government is position to stard as a pro-!js-v the will of the people ,f trade." NOT BEATEN. ' Member for Napier had said that ; t^ a .t (^ r Isitt) would take like a man. This showed kon. member took a very view of the case. If any lickbeen administered to anybody been administered to the people Dominion who demanded a reS of waste on liquor. The vionot one in which the liquor c °nld afford to exult. A cer- ;; , renowned Genei-al had said: "One more victory of this kind and I am • Thero was another adage the gods wish to destroy they /nrst.make he had often had ,'_ ;> reas ° n to be thankful for the foolishite with which the liquor party -I°*? " s I>a ttles. In this fight they ■V" aad scored a momentary triumph, but %■,- to do 60 bad flouted public opinion. >'i -■ ~ there was a party which could bear defeat and could afford to wait for ultivictory, it was the Prohibition .* " ar ty, for the growth of temperance CS', and temperance practices all ®, v "®r the world had been vci*y greae lato vears. He believed that onef nay the traffic would be entirely defh? stroyed. "NO JUSTIFICATION." Payne said that there was no IH&* s tification for the demand for early on the grounds either of econll&jjja f or efficiencj-. ||§Kfey Mr E. Newman said the Bill was an |i|!gi^®®® r ger.cy war measure. He was not Mfe* Prohibitionist nor was he interested the liquor trade, but as tho war had ut.?i-vcned, fce had thought 'Was time for the people to reduce ou luxuries, and he conthat one of the most ||»jjrOWioqg Itixiirics. Personally, he could more harm in a man taking a -"ina than in taking a cup ot

tea, provided always that the man | could afford to pay for it, and that he did not take it to excess. He was advised that the anti-shouting legislation which had been passed by the House would do more harm to the trade than closing jit, say, 8 p.m. He had voted for 8 o'clock closing and for the referendum, and he did so because he thought the people should reduce their expenditure on liquor. The debate" was continued on the usual lines by Messrs Wright, Jennings, Wilkinson, and Webb, after which the Attorney-General replied. THE MINISTER'S REPLY. The Hon. A. L. Herdman said that the debate had passed through many phases. The arguments now being used were in the direction of national economy. Ho ventured to believe that economy was now being practised by the people of this country, and this would be shown by the deposits in the Savings Banks. Reference had been mado to tha importations of motorears, but these woro to _a great extent necessary for the carrying on of the business of the country. Why should the cry for national economy bo directed ' wholly against the licensed houses? The cry was repugnant to one's sense of fairness, and the Government liad had to look at the question broadly and bear in mind the Inst | expression made of the r>eoplo's_ will. :It was not fair to urge the closing of hotels at six o'clock without compensation. The lion. member for Chiistchtirch North had suggested that he (Mr Herdman) was biased in his second i reading speech, but that member's speech made ono think that ho himself i was not free from bins on temperance questions. It was impossiblo to give all that that lion, member desired; lit would be ruinous and would not b" fair. On the other hand, it would not be right to give nil tlio hotel- I keepers desired, so the Government i had taken the middlo course. Ho ! doubted if there was mueli in the orv I for economv. The legislation winch I 'the Government alreadv passed would j onforco econoniv throughout tlio country and he believed tlmt when this Dill passed and was put into operation th 0 effect would be in every way good. Tho Bill was read a third time on the voicos at 10.35 p.m. MR ISITT'S fRTTVTTTS TO PRIME t j * MINISTER, i I Mr Isitt asked the indulgence of the | Houso to make a roference to tho Prime Minister. Voices: "No" and M "Yos. On the feeling of the House boinrr l taken, permission was given. I Mr Isitt said that he only wanted to | sav that they had had certain confer- ! encos over which tho Prime Minister bad presided. He wished to pav his tribute or testimony to the absolute fairness and impartiality with which Mr Massey had presided over these conferences. They could not have liad a more model chairman. PROTESTS OP PRESBYTERIES. (SPKCIAT. TO "THE IT.ESS.") TIMARU, August 1. Concerning the early closing of hotels movement, tho Timaru Presbytery to-day passed tlio following motion:—"That wo view with feelings of shame, and indignation tho failure of our New Zealand Parliament to deal in any offectivo way with the restriction, of the liquor trairic in this time of national crisis, and we hereby urge tne Government to make provision lor tho taking of a referendum on the question of tho closing of hotel bars at 6 o'clock during the continuance of wnr.and for-at least six months afterwards." . The Rev. T. Stmson said that thw> movement "waa not confined to Prohibitionists. Many men who had never voted prohibition had told him that they were in favour of G o'clock closing during this time of national peril and newspapers like tho "Otago Daily Times" and "Tho Press" (Christchurch) —whir-h were opposed to prohibition wero in favour of early closing during tho continuance of the war. Tho motion was earned unanimously. (rnESS ASSOCIATION TELBGRAM.) DUNEDIN, August 1. The Dunedin Presbytery passed a resolution expressing extreme regret that Parliament rejected the proposal for the early closing of hotel oais during the war, especially in'view of the em-phatically-expressed conviction of over 100,000 petitioners. The Presbytery asks Parliament, • even at this late hour, for a referendum. (FRESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) OAMARTJ, August 1. A meeting of citizens, convened by tho No-license League, held carried resolutions regretting that the Government had made no provision in the War Regulations Bill restricting tho hours for the sale of liquor, pointing out that the decision of the House of Representatives was contrary to the opinion and desires of the electors of the Dominion; and calling upon the Government to introduce legislation giving ! thc light to the people to decide bv referendum tho hours for the sale of liqubr.