LOCAL OPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 9

LOCAL OPTION.

KING COUNTRY MOVEMENT.

BOROUGH COUNCIL UNANIMOUS

(By Telegraph. —Own Correspondent.)

TE KUITI, Tuesday.

The Te Kuiti Borough Council adopted unanimously a motion by Mr. H. T. Morton urged the Government to give early effect to the recommendation of the Licensing Committee in reference to local option for the King Country. Mr. Morton said that the Licensing Commission set up by Parliament during last session recommended that, in tbe event of prohibition being defeated, some revision of the licensing law, as it applied in the King Country, should >>c made. Prohibition was rejected at the last election by a very much larger majority than was generally' anticipated. As far back as 1871, a pact had been entered into between Maoris and pakehas in which the latter had promised that liquor would not be allowed to come into the KingtCountry. It was perfectly obvious that this pact had been broken in spirit over and over again. It was utterly ridiculous to state that license could pot be grantfd because some promise had been made to the Maoris in 1871. If liquor was not allowed to come into the King Country it would be another matter. The time was coming when the electors of Waitomo would be called on to vote on the question of licensing in the King Country, and if the granting of licenses were carried, then the council should try the experiment of municipal control of the liquor traffic jn this djstrjc'.:.

The Mayor, Mr. H. Hine, said he doubted if there would be much revenue for the council, because the Government might restrict" profits.

Mr. Rotbery preferred municipal Jic?nse to private ownership. Mr, SomerviUe, in seconding the resolution, said he would like to see the subject brought under the notice of the Parliamentary party which was to visit Te Kuiti shortly. He did not favour any proposal granting licenses to private individuals.

Mr. Morton stated that a Minister of. the Crown had already informed him that the scheme would in all likelihood be welcomed by the Government. Mr. Morton added to his motion a proviso that, in the event of licenses being granted, that control be given to the Te Kuiti Borough Council. The amended resolution wa_ carried unanimously. . •""