LICENSING LEGISLATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 12

LICENSING LEGISLATION.

—.—. ! PROTEST AGAINST DELAY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. ! The Dominion executive of the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association this aiternoon adopted the following resolution, a copy to be forwarded to the Pnime Minister: "That the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association views with alarm the suggestion reported to be made by the Prime Minisj ter that the paseage of the Licensing I Bill might be deferred until next aea' sion. It strongly urges that this matter be finally dealt with at once ;on the following grounda: (1) That I proposals for reform have now j been under the consideration of a special committee of Parliament for ! three years; (2) that the recommendai tiona of the Parliamentary Licensing , Committee, aa tabled, constitute in most features a renl and practical j rdfonn of the licensing system; (3) ; that the Prime Minister definitely j promised in October of 1022 that v J prohibition was not carried at the then j approaching poll there would be a j licensing bill next session, with, the object of putting the liquor traffic on j a more satisfactory footing from the people's point of view than it had occupied for many a lonsr year; (4) i that the electors have been looking for this promise to be fulfilled, and that all the organised parties are anxious to j have the matter fully dealt with i without further delay; (5) that to defer legislation to next session would be manifestly unfair to all the interests concerned in the licensing question, as it woufd leave the matters in a state of uncertainty at a time when the electors ehould be in a position to j know exactly what they would be : required to vote on at the referendum, J and would render it too late for any . educative campaign to be undertaken. j "Further, the association respectfully I urges that in the licensing bill to be I introduced this session, the corporate ; control proposal be substituted for the present th : rd issue of State purchase and controL"