LICENSING LAW

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVIII, Issue 10945, 17 June 1927, Page 4

LICENSING LAW

NEW BILL PROMISED. ALLIANCE INTERVIEWS PREMIER •• V* l • (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A deputation from the New Zealand Alliance, 200 strong, waited on Mr J. G. Coates to-day in regard to theLicensing Bill. The speakers were Messrs Todd (president), and Edmond (general secretary), and Mrs T. E. Taylor (Dominion president of the W.C.T.U.) All aspects of the Alliance’s case were fully presented, but the chief requests were for an amendment of the • law to provide for a two issues ballot paper, and elimination of the proposal in last year’s Bill to extend the time between polls. Mr Coates gave an understanding- to< bring down a Bill this session, but expressed the opinion taat the Bill brought down last year did not have a fair run, because of the attitude adopted by the Alliance. It was never looked at from the point of view of improving the trade itself. The proposals in the Bill affected every business, including the Trade. The Bill seemed to be nobody’s child and was trounced. Had Parliament had the opportunity to consider the Bill it would have been found that there was valuable machinery for bringing about reforms in. the Trade, especially the retail. In due course he would” reply to the requests made by presenting to Parliament a Bill which he hoped would give the Legislature an opportunity to express his views on various questions in the minds of the people to-day.