NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15939, 28 June 1917, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND.

ALLIANCE

ANNUAL CONGRESS. (press association teuhjbah.) "WELLINGTON, June 27. The annual congress of the New Zealand Allianco opened to-day. The president, the Rov. P. S. Smallfield, in his opening address spoko hopefully regardins the future. The annual report contained tho following"Tho timo has come for Parliament either to go forward or for its members to stand aside. Tho absolute minimum that can be accepted is that no liquor shall be sold, either wholesale or retail, in brewery, warehouse, bar,club, or Bellamy's, from 6 o'clock at night till 8 o'clock next, morning, during the period of tho war and for at least six months thereafter. If Parliament fails to grant this small measure of reform at once, wo demand that it shall forthwith submit, tho question of prohibition to a referendum of tho people, to become operative as soon as it is carriod, and that not merely as a war measure, but as a permanent enactment. If Parliament refuses oither of them, then we demand that on June 30th, 1918, every form of licenso shall cease, for that is the last dato for which thero is any mandate of the people for this monopoly to continue." 'The report approves of Sir James -Allen's statement that there is to bo no wet canteen in the camps, and says that if it is true that a number of" hotels do so little business in catering for travellers that early closing would injuriously affect them, they would bo no loss if closed up. The report also denounces in vigorous terms those M.P.'s who "utilised the forms of the House in an effort to kill the petition presented last session" and prays that "for their undemocratic and unpatriotic action, they may receive just judgment from their constituents."' , .