VIEWED WITH ALARM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 October 1924, Page 5

VIEWED WITH ALARM.

SHELVING OF LICENSING BILL. REFORM ASSOCIATION’S . . PROPOSALS. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Oct, 17. At a. meeting of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association this afternoon, the following resolution was carried and a eopv forwarded to the Prime Minister (Mr W. F. Massey): “That the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association views with alarm the suggestion reported to be made by the Prime Minister that the passage of the Licensing Bill might be deferred until next session, and strongly urges that this matter be finally dealt with at once on the following grounds:— “(1) That the proposals for licensing reform have now been under the consideration of special committees of Parliament for three years. “(2) That, the recommendations of the Parliamentary Licensing Committee as tabled constitute, in most features, a real and practical reform of the licensing system. “(3) That the Prime Minister 'definitely promised, in October of 1922, that if prohibition was not carried at. the then approaching poll, .there would be a Licensing Bill next session with the object of putting the liquor traffic on a more satisfactory footing from tlie people’s point of view than it had occupied for many a long year.

“(4) That the electors have been looking for this promise to be fulfilled, and that all organised parties are anxious to have the matter fully dealt with without further delay.

“(5) That to defer legislation to next session would be manifestly unfair to all interests concerned in the licensing question, as it would leave matters in a state of uncertainty at a time when electors should be in a position to know exactly what they would be required to vote on at the referendum, and would render it too late for any educative campaign to be undertaken. “(6) That, further, the association respectfully urges that in the Licensing Bill to be introduced this session, the corporate control proposal be substituted for the'present third issue of State purchase and control.”