Premier and No-license.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 699, 27 October 1909, Page 5

Premier and No-license.

Replying to a deputation representing the Xew Zealand Alliance, urging certain reforms iu the licensing laws, the Prime Minister said he thought it was only right for him to say that nothing in the way of liquor legislation would be done this session. Representations made to him would be considered with a view to legislation next sessiou. The bare majority question and the Dominion vote were big proposals, and he fully recognised there was a strong feeling in the matter. He was in sympathy with the cause of temperance reform, but these questions would have to receive very careful consideration before the Government could arrive at a definite conclusion. The Government had always kept before it the question of what would happen if Dominion No-License were carried. Apart altogether from the question whether it was desirable, last year the country received £78,101 in revenue from the importation of wine, spirits, and beer, and in the event of Dominion prohibition being carried two-thirds of that amount would have to be provided by taxation of some kind. It would mean a tremendous change in our aytem of taxation.

With regard to the locker system, the Premier said lie quite agreed that legislation should be brought into existence. The state of things which existed was an undesirable substitute for the former system in places where Xo-Lieeuse had been carried.