THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Evening Star, Issue 8553, 27 June 1891, Page 2

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

WELLINGTON, Junb 27. A deputation from the New Zealand Alliance waited on the Premier to-day to confer with him on the licensing Bills before the House. Mr T. W. Glover, who was spokesman, said it was the unanimous desire of the temperance organisations, and of the Christian Chnroh in New Zealand, that steps should be taken to decrease the liquor traffio in the colony. He alluded to the remarks made by Inspeotor Thomson at the last meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee with reference to the attitude of justices of the peace when cases for infringement of the Licensing Aot were brought before them, and expressed a hop that the Minister of Justioe would make inquiries into the matter. The Alliance were in favor of closing hotels on election diiye, and he suggested that the proposed Bill should be amended so as to read " supply " as well as " sale of liquor." He agreed with Mr Fisher's Bill to prevent the Biue of liquor to children under thirteen

\ i. I i years, and also spoke, strongly in favor, of Mr Joyce's Bill providing for the prohibition of the liquor traffic by the ballot-box. The Alliance hoped that the Government would support the Bilki referred to. Replying to th9| Alliance deputation the Eon. Mr Ballance said that he agreed there was a great orisiß in the temperance cause at present. The Government had not yet considered the licensing Bills at all; and he was not, therefore, prepared to say whether they had any united opinion or not. However, he could give an opinion on the prinoiple of the measures. He was in favor of Prohibition, even if it took the whole of the Consolidated Revenue from this source to-morrow, provided it was the wish of the people. He did not think that hotels should be closed on eleotion days, as with the public-houses open elections of late years were becoming more and more temperate. He was not in favor of taking away from the brewers the right to own property in the shape of hotels.' Where parsons had invested money in property he held they should be considered, and he was, therefore, favorable to granting compensation where licenses were taken away for no offence. No compensation should be given, however, for licenses issued in the future. With regard to the local option vote, he would give the people complete power, except as regards compensation. He believed that the Temperance party in refusing compensation were taking the wrong means to obtain their end.