EARLY CLOSING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 September 1917, Page 3

EARLY CLOSING.

POSITION OF THE BILL. THE COmiaG POLL. (Special to "Slai’/’J WELLLNOTON, Tins Day. ihe uc\ c.upiueuis m cumiinui.e> on tlie ot niquur j.eciUict.uU Uni, Uie in une Miiu.ner s sutlaeU silver Vo from eight o ciocic advocacy iu me moving oi the six o’eiocx. ameiidmeut, have Kept mi parties in a puzzled unite regarding uie m-xt development m mis, Vasili}' interesting business. Ji is uso'umeu that Uie "tiaue ’ win nmv be glad in follow the suggestion nl ihe LS annual Erncieucy Huaid, and get out of a. business wlucii is so uncertain, provided leasunaljie compensation is paid. Many members who voted tor six o'clock arc adiinitediy lar away from the prohibition camp, but they are against monopoly and 1 hey are not sympathetic towards the big financial interests in the liquor business. They would support State control. Prohibitionisls, on the other liancp will light: into the last ditch against Slate control. The ) u >.sit 1 >iLity of this being the next move of the democracy and of ir.si advocacy by the brewers,

was mentioned U> one of the leading members of tlit* New Zealand Alliance 1 1 V your correspondent. His reply was emphatic. ‘‘We are dead against the State having its hands in Hie liipior business!." With the two leaders of tiie National (lovernmenl agree-

illLi' upon :m curly appeal to tin; people nii the .National Kllieieiiry Him id s proposal for 11a 1 i*-mal juoliil>ilion, wit’n compensation from the public it may he taken as lairIv certain 1 hat this referendum will come to pass 1 . Consequently it worth while reproducing exactly what the National KfHciency Hoard had to sav in its now historic report, upon the proposal for a referendum : The Hoard finds, that the two chief factors in the continuance of the liquor trade arc public, custom and the financial interests involved. The Hoard is satisfied that the greatest efficiency would he attained both for the nation and the individual by a state of complete prohibition, hut the Hoard recognises that prohibition i a people's question, and should he ' determined only by an expression of the voice of the people. It. therefore reoon in lends that legislation he passed submitting the question of national .. . 1 *1 -X • i , . i. _ ,1* * I. J

prohibitio'n to a vote ot the people at the earliest possible moment, and that such vote should be upon the basis of immediate prohibition accompanied by reasonable compensation to the interests affected. Anv compensation paid to those in the liquor trade would for the greater part remain and be invested within the Dominion and thus be used for production and trade, COMPENSATION. On the subject of condensation, the Board's* view was as follows: The Board is of opinion it will be found that no compensat io>n need bo given to individual employees, as; all male and female employees could be absorbed in other occupations. In it's judgment, all interests having been considered, the parties to be cotnpen-

Halt'd are represented by the breweries. wholesale and retail licensed vendors, vignerons and wine-manufactur-ers. hop-growers anil the owners of properties to which a ictail license is attached. The Board believes that the compensation to he paid for the immediate closing' of the liquor trade should lie based upon the difference between the market value of the assets as used at present, taking into consideration the present: licensinglaws and all the other circumstances and conditions) associated with the trade, and the value of such assets without a license. The amounts to be paid by way of compensation need tint necessarily be found in cash, but, Hie Hoard suggests, might be paid m (hivernment securities bearing the same- rate of interest and with the same currency as the war loan debentures. SHAPING THE MEASURE. As, for the Rill which has passed the third reading in the House of Representatives it is not by aiiv means) finally disposed of. The method of adjusting finances as between the licensee and his landlord wa s covered in a long amendment introduced hy the Prime Minister, hut it wa S i found to he very incomplete. The Committee of the House soon satisfied Mr. Mascy that Licensing Committees ate not suitable bodies to adjudicate in complicated and extensive financial matters. The amendment appeared to he drafted on the assumption that adjustments have simply to lie made hot ween the licensee and the landlord, so as to throw upon the latter a. portion of the loss clue to the decreased turnover in hotel bars. It. failed to take into consideration that many landlords! get quite a. small rent, though their original tenant might have sold his lease at a tremendously enhanced figure. Obviously the adjustment in such a. case ought mainly to be between the

licensee and his immediate landlord, nut 'the owner of (he freehold. As it was recognised that the Committee could not equitably solve the riddle hi an evening, the clause was agreed to in an admittedly incomplete stale, and Ibe responsibility of shaping a. better one thrown upon the Law Draftsman and the, Statutes lievision Committee of the Legislative Council, a body thoroughly well qualified to do careful, accurate work, including as it does Sir Francis, Bell, K.C. and the Hon. Oliver Samuel, who has shown a remarkable capacity for improving the shape of legislation sent to the Legislative Council by the Lower House, it will take a, week before the measure can get through thisi revision stage, and possibly a fortnight er e it finally receives the Governor-General's a Rent. A deputation from the licensing trade interviewed the Prime Minister tin* dav after the Bill passed the House of Representatives!, in order to place before the Government some important suggestions' regarding the adjustment of rents and rates as a result of diminished goodwill. “THE TRADE” IN DUNEDIN. DUNEDIN, September 21. Six o'clock closing has been taken very quietly in Dunedin, both by the hotel-keepers l and the public.

It was something of a coincidence that die hotel employees should have had a dispute before the Conciliation Council this morning. Mr. McEweii, the union's; secretary, said that almost all the male employees of the union were married meSi

with families 1 , Tlie cost of living also fell equally heavy on the female em- ] joyecs. There were o 7 males and 2d females less employed in holds in July Ia st than in July, J'Jl-l. The war bonus had never been paid to iin'inhd’s of the union. Barmaids, housemaidsi a;nd waitresses; could not be got in Dunedin at the present time. The hands; were all drifting North. Now the hotels would be employing a less number. The wages were higher in die North. One of the employers replied that I nsiness was better in the North Island than here. The Conciliation Commissioner admitted that hotelkeepers were passing through strenuous times. In the end both sides came to- a satisfactory agreement. THE ANTI-SHOUTING CLAUSE. WELLINGTON. September 21. The Minister of Education (the

Ilon. J. A. Italian’) drew attention this afternoon to Hie omission of bis name from the division list in connection with the proposal to repeal the anti-shouting law. Mr. Hunan sv ill he gave his voice with the ■'iioes," and also asked Hie tellers to put down his name, but lie subsequently found that Ills' vote bad not been recorded. Mr. Poland said he could confirm Mr, Hunan's statement. The Speaker stated that Mr. H.-maii was not recorded as having voted on either side. He would call np't.i the tellers to make (he necessary alteration. The result would now In*: For the repeal of Hie antishouting clause 21, against (be repeal of the clause -IS. ‘ INCITING REBELLION."

WELLINGTON. September 21. Considerable amusement was created in the House of Representatives tiffs afternoon when Mr. McCombs asked (he Attorney-General, without 'notice, whether Hie Government were

going to take {steps' to prevent any disaffected person preaching or otherwise Inciting rebellion in regard to six o'clock closing. “I think >the lion, gentleman had better put the question on the order paper,” replied Mr. Herd man drily.