THE LICENSING LAWS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10707, 13 July 1900, Page 6

THE LICENSING LAWS.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. (PRBS3 ASSOCIATION T-XKGBAM.) WELLINGTON, July 12. 'A deputation representing the various temperance organisations in the colony waited oa the Premier to-day and urged that the King Country be maintained as a. prohibition country in future, as it had been for many years by consent of the native race and the sanction of Parliament. They objected to efforts being put forward to introduce licensed houses in the district on the ground that tlie European population might have the same local option privilege as the other European people in the colony. Mr Seddon replied that it was fourteen years since the Maoris petitioned Parliament to prohibit the _al« of drink in the King Country, and the altered conditions must be met as tliey arose. There was no doubt that licensing hotels tended to diminish sly grog selling, and it was impossible to put down sly grog selling by ordinary means. He held that tlie population of all districts should be put on an equal footing in this matter, and he proposed to grant the Maoris and Europeans the right to vote on the subject in the King Country as elsewhere. The deputation had now had fair warning, and could set to work at once. Mr Seddon added that with regard to licenses in newly-settled districts, the Act was ambiinious and would be amended, so that people within the radius affected would ba able to say if hotels would be allowed. As for returning officers, they were statutory officers, and the Government could not interfere with them any more than they could 'with magistrates. Whatever the law was, the Legislature was responsible for it, but it should be carried out impartially, and that was what he wanted to see done as to the question of national option ; itvwould be necessary that the movement in that direction should be general, and not sectional, before it could be carried into law. The matter would doubtless when it came before Parliament ba fairly considered. He_ believed that national option would be more enduring than local. He did not think a hard and fast rule desirable in. the matter of the closing hour, as the convenience of the public required that certain houses should be kept open later than ordinary hours but he would leave that question to bo decided by the vote of the people. He intended to move in the direction of improving thu condition under which hotels were held. Rents were so high, and the conditions of occupancy such as to make it impossible to pay all charges and conduct the business within the law. Parliament would have to deal with the question of the ptiriod of taking the option poll. He had not considered the question of making the national option effective on the bare majority.