NO-LICENSE.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2062, 1 May 1913, Page 1

NO-LICENSE.

A REQUEST AND A REPLY, THE PREMIER GIVES SOME POLICY POINTS. xMATTERS TO BE REFERRED IV CABINET. l'lili I'ItESS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, April 28. Several amendments of the Licensing Act desired by the Presbyterian General Assembly were placed before Premier Massey this afternoon by a deputation of Auckland Presbyterian ministers and elders, headed by tho j.lov. A. Miller. Tho legislative changes that tkey asked for were: (a) Tile reduction of the majority necessary for carrying of No-license or National Prohibition from 60 per cent, to oo per cent, of the valid votes recorded ; (b) tbut in the event of national prohibition being carried it should come into operation within two years of the date of the poll instead of within..4 years as tlie Jaw now provided; (.c) the abolition'of private' bars and the establishment of tho principle of one license one bar. Tho Government, said the Prime Minister in reply, had to consider the question from several points of view, trom the social and financial points, and also to consider the fact that a great many people were involved in the business.' "Up to the present we have not got to the length of attemp-_ ting to complete our programme for' the session," said Mr Massey. "There are two Labour Bills in the course of preparation and also a Land Bill, all of which will be in my own charge. Then there will be a Bill dealing with the Legislative Council besides a number of other Bills. The question whether there would be a Liquor Bill could not be definitely settled until there was a fairly full meeting of the Cabinet. From one point of view a .Liquor Bill is not so important as some of the other Bills," added the Prime Minister, "because it cannot be given effect to until next election." The deputation could rest assured, however, that its representations would be laid before Cabinet at the first opportunity, certainly before the House met. They would then be able to tell whether it would then be possible to go on with a Liquor Bill this session. "1 cannot commit the Government in the meantime to any course of action," said Mr Massey, "and I would certainly not attempt to decide such au important proposal unless there were certainly seven out of nine Ministers present."