PARLIAMENT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12869, 22 September 1904, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

[FSSSS JUBOOIAIIOS.S [ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Hon. C. C. Bowen gave notice to ast the Government whether their stten tion has been called to the fact thal shipping companies trading between th< colony and Great Britain arc chargee by both the New Zealand and Imperial Governments, and, if so, will this Government make represents tions to the Colonial Office to prevent such double taxation, i Hon. D. Pinkerton moved the second reading of the Harbour Act 187£ Amendment Bill, received from the other Chamber. The bill provides that compensatior shall be given for land taken from boards by the Government for any purpose save for roads or railways. The second reading was agreed to without discussion. ! The Council rose at 3.10 p.m. ; HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NEW ZEALAND LOAN. Mr Massey asked for information regarding the following press cable message which appeared in last Saturday’s newspapers“ New Zealand has placed £320,000 4 per cents with a currency of five years, and £85,000 and £99,000 at par.” Mr Seddon said he had noticed the paragraph himself, and had read it with pleasure. That was all he knew about it. If the message was correct, members ought to congratulate the colony and themselves. The cablegram might have been sent by some journalist in London who was trying ■to help the colony’s credit. In reply to a further query by Mr Massey, Mr Seddon said the Government had given no instructions to place any such loan. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In reply to questions ministers stated— The question of numbering and reserving seats in passenger carriages on long distance train journeys lias been under consideration, and it is intended to bring the system into use as soon as the necessary indicators are finished. It is intended to have a stock-taking of native lands, and the opportunity will be used to arrive at a correct estimate of the number of landless natives in the North Island (if any), and what provision should be made on their behalf. _ It is the intention of the Agricultural Department to import further strains of stock so as to improve the dairy herds of the colony, LICENSING BILL, The Licensing Acts Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee. “Clause 55, “Use of inurious materials," was agreed to on the voices. Clause 56 was amended to provide that all prosecutions for the breach of any of the provisions of the Licensing Acts shall be commenced within three months after the date of the breach (instead of one month). When clause 57, which proposes to make it illegal for the owner or landlord of any licensed premises to demand or receive any monetary consideration for his consent to any transfer of the lease or license of those premises, was reached, the first sub-clause (declaring the illegality) was not debated, hut a division was called for, and the clause was retained by 38 votes to 30. There was no debate on sub-clause 2, which provides that when a tenant has paid an owner or landlord any money as above stated after the passing of the bill into law, the tenant may recover such money as a debt. On a division, the sub-clause was retained by 56 votes to 22. At sub-clause 3, which provides that the owner or landlord shall not refuse his consent to any sub-lease or transfer to any person who satisfies the Chairman of the Licensing Committee of bis fitness to bold •■■ publican’s license.

Mr Seddon said he had thought o{ striking out the whole danse and devising something on more moderate lines to take its plant;. Mr Seddon went on to point out that a man might be of the best possible character, and quite financially sound, and might yet be. quite unable to conduct a good hotel. To leave the subclause as it stood would cause injustice, and to amend it would cause confusion. The sub-clause, he thought, should be rejected. Mr Baume objected to any attempt to place a hotel licensee in a different position from a man conducting any other business. In the course of the discussion, reference was made to a conference on the bill that had been held during the day. Mr A. L. D. Fraser complained that there were 68 members of the House voting blindly and in the dark, being unaware of the proposals arranged by the conference of twelve members. Eventually Mr A. L. 1). Fraser moved an amendment providing that any dispute arising between a landlord and his lessee should be referred to a stipendiary magistrate, whole decision should be final and conclusive, provided that this should not apply to leases heretofore executed. The operative portion of the original sub-clause was thrown out on the voices.

What remained of the sub-clause was then struck out on the voices, Mr Seddon promising to bring down a new sub-clause providing that no owner or landlord shall insert in any lease any provision depriving a tenant of hio common law rights. Tire clause as amended was added to the bill by 38 vgtes to 36. The next clause was 58, relating to tied houses.

The proposal was that where a rent is reserved under a lease in consideration of the lessee purchasing liquor or goods exclusively from the lessor or other person named, the lease shall come under section 36 of the Act of 1895, which enables the lessee to apply to the court for relief. No discussion took place on the clause, and it was struck out by 39 votes to 35. At clause 59, making clubs liable to certain provisions of the Licensing Acts such as closing at the same hours as hotels, and the prohibition of gambling, and providing for the suspension of the charter when No-license is carried. Mr Seddon said he bad been asked to amend the clause so as to exempt the Ashburton Club till July next. Mr A. L. D. Fraser strongly protested against the clause. He pointed out that any club could throw up its charter and have what was the curse of dubs, the locker system, which would lead to excessive drinking. Mr Baume urged that the whole clause should be struck out. If carried, it would practically mean the destruction of dubs. Mr Kidd combated this contention, and said that all the danse meant was that clubs and their members were to be brought under the same conditions as hotels and hotelkeepers. Mr R. McKenzie urged that the House should add a provision prohibiting the money-box and liquor systems in dubs, as those systems were nothing but sly grog selling.

Sir William Russell and Mr Duthie said that clubs were ordinarily very well conducted, and there was no necessity to place them on the same foot- , ing as licensed houses. Mr Seddon said it had been reported to the Government that men who had obtained liquor in clubs on Sundays had been seen intoxicated during church hours. All that tho clause proposed was that clubs should nob sell drink on Sundays or during hours when it could not be obtained in hotels, and he did not think there could be any objection to that. He went on to declare that more distress had been caused by gambling at clubs fham by gambling at hotels. He could give them some very shocking examples. Ha wanted to stop gambling, and this was one way to do it, Mr Reid moved an amendment to strike out the words making clubs subject to the provisions of the Licensing Acts relating to gambling or the playing of any unlawful game. Mr Duthie moved an amendment to provide that clubs should only be subject to the provisions of the Licensing Acts so far as the sale of liquor on Sundays was concerned. This was lost by 51 votes to 21. Mr Reid’s amendment was lost on the voices. Mr McLachlan moved a proviso to permit the sale of liquor at the Ashburton Club until July Ist of next year. The amendment was carried by 39 votes to 34. Clause 69 as amended was then adopted by 46 .votes to 21. Clause 60, “Power to close premises for specified period;” clause 61, “Regulations;” and clause 62, “Licensing Acts modified,” were agreed to without discussion. This concluded the bill, with the exception of the postponed clauses, and the Premier moved to report progress. He said he intended to go on with the bill at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. The Premier’s motion was agreed to. The House roe at 1.40 a.m.