STALEMATE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 November 1927, Page 7

STALEMATE

THE LICENSING BILL.

NO COMPROMISE YET. PROSPECT OF LONG SESSION. (BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL TO “THE STAR.’’) WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. A condition of complete stalemate exists over the Licensing Bill, and there appears to be no hope of securing any agreement this week-end which would enable the Prime Minister to take up the Bill when he returns from Auckland on Tuesday. The committee representing the no-licensing majority in the House has consulted Mr 'Coates. They comprise Messrs C. E. Bellringer, A. Hamilton and D. Jones. On behalf of their group of 43 favouring bare mapority thev take up the attitude that there is an actual majority of Parliament pledged to the two-issue ballot paper on a bare majority, with three vears between the polls. From this position they decline to budge, though the suggestion was made that the Bill might again get under weigh if the bare majority group would concede, as a safeguard, a majority of 52J per cent., which splits the difference _ between their view and the actual majority provided in the Prime Minister’s Bill. This was promptly rejected as being no better than a retention of the third issue in the ballot paper. The minority expresses the hope that the Prime Minister will firmly decline to proceed unless some voting margin is conceded, and here the position stands. Inquiries of Legislative Councillors to indicate the probable attitude of that section of the Legislature if a Licensing Bill came forward -without the Prime Minister’s approval, suggest that it would secure a small majority on the grounds that the matter is non-party and that the nominated legislators would not be entitled to interfere with a verdict given by the pledged elected members.

Parliamentarians do not relish the prospect of a prolonged session, but if the situation does not clarify within a few days there is a prospect of the Prime Minister’s words coming true, that tho House may sit till Christmas if a solution of the licensing question cannot be found.

TO PROCEED WITH BILL. REQUESTS TO LEADER OF OPPOSITION. MATTER RESTS WITH GOVERNMENT PARTY. WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. Mr 11. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, handed the following statement to the Press: “As Leader of the Opposition, I am being inundated with telegrams and other messages urging me to bring pressure to bear upon the Prime Minister to proceed with the Licensing Bill. Some of the messages contain a demand that the Bill be reintroduced. All of the bodies and individual correspondents who protest against the Prime Minister’s action lose sight of the fact which should be obvious to those who insist that the Bill should be reintroduced. I would point out that it is still on the order paper and the Prime Minister can place it first on the list whenever he wishes. I regret I have no influence with the Prime Minister in the matter of arranging the order of business, but I would point out that members of the Government party are in altogether a different position. ”The Reform Party includes a substantial majority of the prohibitionists and if these members are really sincere - in desiring the 'Bill to come on again they should have no difficulty in achieving their object. Everything depends on the extent to wnich they are prepared to exercise the power which they possess within their own party. If the Bill is not allowed to proceed, it will •only be because the prohibitionists in the ranks of the Reform Party do not desire it to proceed.”