Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1927, Page 2

The turn of events in connection with the progress of the Licensing Bill in Parliament has been described as rather sensational, for the reason that the whole plan of the Prime Minister’s Bill has hen transformed. What was proposed was frankly a compromise in regard to the requests by the opposing factions for reform in the licensing legislation. What has resulted by the considei ation of the House as far as the Bill has gone, is that as amended, it is completely a prohibition bill. Not only are the two issues retained, hut the stipulated majority has been removed, and the triennial appeal remains. That "is to say, the licensing question is to lie submitted every three years, and is to be decided on a bare majority vote. In the first years of the national prohibition issue there were only the two issues but a majority of sixty to forty was required. In 1919, alter a referendum had been taken on the two issues, decided on the bare majority, but with the complication of compensation added, the bare majority was adopted as a regular feature of the appeal, but a third issue was submitted. This third issue in a measure balanced the withdrawal of the statutory majority. Now Parliament has taken the grave stop < f adopting the bare majority on a twoissue poll. The argument against the hare majority for such a question as prohibition is so well known that it hardly needs to be re-stated. It is rot desirable that so great a change in the habits of the people should lie enforced unless a substantial majority of (lie adult population is in favour of it. The next move is with Mr Coates, but it would appear it will be a move under pressure. Even the Cabinet Ministers are divided on the question, and one of bis colleagues, Mr Young, actually went the length ol' attempting to bounce bis leader iii the House. Similarly several Be for in members who are active partisans on prohibition, are said to have delivered an ultimatum to Mr Coates. Tills would he necessarily of a political character to he a source of annoyance, so that we may consider the Licensing Bill as far as it lias gone lots produced something of a crisis with, all the prospects of startling developments. In the special message published in the “Guardian” on Saturday from a well-informed quarter, there was the suggestion that the Bill would he allowed to proceed tomorrow and go ultimately to the Upper House. There its fate might or might not he sealed by amendments introduced. which would not lie acceptable to the majority in the House. Tf that contingency arose, probably what there is of substance in the Bill would lie accepted hv the supporters of prohibition. For the present, then, the next move is with Mr Coates, and on that perhaps depends oven more than the actual fate of the measure. The climax of the situation has yet to reveal itself.