The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. THE ENGLISH LICENSING BILL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13095, 21 April 1908, Page 6

The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1908. THE ENGLISH LICENSING BILL.

The English Licensing Bill, although far less draetio than our own legislation on tih» subject, is a sweeping and even revolutionary measure viewed from tho English, standpoint. It was introduced by Mr Asquith. in a speech, which excited ■warm admiration even oa the pert of his opponents, on account of tho lucidity with which he expounded ite principlee, and the 6kill -with which he sustained the interest of his audience. Tho Licensing Act introduced and (passed by the Balfour Government provided for a rediiotion in tho number of licensed houses, and gave compensation to tho holdore of those whose licensee w«<re extinguished by »>«hm of a levy on "the trade," Uiq theory foe-ing that the increased profits of" the houses which were spared would make up to tho holders tho amount of their contributions to tho compensation fond, incidentally the Act created a vested interest in licenses which, did not previously exist. The main object of the present Bill is to accelerate the rate of reducing the number of_iu*aiKed houses, arid to

terest. Xo compensation trill be paid after th-o expiration of fourteen years, and the licensing justices are instructed, during that period, beginning at once, to reduce the number of licensee by one-third—that is to ea.y, by 30,000 or 32,000 out of the pro&ent total of ( .»0,700. A schedule to the Bill gives a scale defining the proportion of lite need houses to be allowed to the population in town and country respectively. Speaking rougrhly. they will bo red-uced to one in every WX) to SCO people .in towns, and one in every 400 to 500 in the country. The present average, for England is one per 370. Compensation is to be paid on the basis of a sum sufficient to buy an annuity for the unoxpired part of twenty years, equal to the annual value of the license taken away, plus a sum to the license holder for the Joes of business. A Central Licensing Conimiesion is to bo constituted to control the. Compensation Fund which is to be raised, as at present, by a levy on the trade, and also to revise and approve tho licensing iustices' scheme of reduc-

tion. By a majority vote in a special poll in any district the inhabitants may, for three years, refuse any newlicenses. A prohibitory resolution may be rescinded by a bare majority vote, but in either case -when a poll has been once taken in a district, a further poll shall not bo taken on either question ir that district until tho expiration of tbre© years from the date of tho previous poll. The justices may attach as a condition, to granting a new license restriction on Sunday opening, employment of -women or children on licensed premises, tho prohibition of the salo of intoxicating liquor for consumption on tho premises during the whole of Sunday, or during any hours on Sunday during which that salo would otherwise bo permitted, the closing of tho premises during election day, etc. The Bill-lays it down that, outside London, publichouses on Sunday shall be open only one hour at midday, and two hours in the evening. Tho bona fido traveller must go six miles, instead of three as ait present; clubs must bo registered annually, to allow objections to be raised before tho justices against their manage-imont ; police of superior grade, in plain clothes, shall have the right of entering all. clubs. This, Mr Asquith said, would apply *o all registered clv.be, even to Pall Miall and St. James street. Extended power of local option is given to Wales.

The main arguments directed against tho Bill, as wo briefly indicated in a previous article, were raised by those whose pecuniary interests were directly affected. It is estimated that at least £240,000,000 is invested in breweries, etc., in England, and the shareholders are to be found in every grade of society, ma>ny of them being persons of limited means. Previous to' tiho introduction of the Bill an enormous shrinkage 'had ta-kem place m> the value of their holdings. Ther© is no doubt, however, that this was largely due to over capitalisation on the part of the brewery companies, a<nd to the fact that tho latter had carried competition for the purchase of tied houses far beyond the bounds of prudence. A further drqp in prices "took place immediadely the Bill became known. It is contended that improvement dn the drinking habits jof the .peoplo is being fcrouigjat about by the progress of public opinion,

and that reduction in the number of houses is proceeding at a satisfactory rate," without the introduction of fresh legislation. Between the years 1881 and 1907 the population of the United Kingdom increased by over 9,000,000, ■while the number of licensed houses decreased during the same period' by over 10,000. Following the Act of 1904, the reductions havo been, at the rate of 1372 a year, as compared with an average of 359 for the eleven years from 1894 to 1904. Thero is very little doubt that the Bill, if passed in its present shape, will etill furthor depress the value of brewery debentures, a large number of whicli are held as security by bainks and insurance companies, as well as by private investors. The opposition to the Bill on financial grounds will bo very strong. At the same time it must bo admitted by fairminded persons that, considering the largo amouint of drunkenness which exists in England, further reform in licensing legislation is needed, and the present Bill, repugnant as it evidently is to the English peoples view that nothing must be allowed in the shape of confiscation of private property by the State, is yet mild in its provisions compared with the licensing legislation in foroo in other parte of tho British Empire.