HOTEL HOURS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17587, 18 September 1917, Page 4

HOTEL HOURS.

ADVOCATES OF SIX O’CLOCK ACTIVE.

MARCH ON PARLIAMENT.

[From Our Correspondent.]

WELLINGTON, September 1".

Pressure of public opinion is being exerted very heavily upon members over the hotel early closing question. Hie early closers are showing remarkable enterprise.. There are few member who have not to-day received a big budget of telegrams with the object; other of their conversion or hardening up their opinion. "Remember eerly closing!” was the text of the first of a scries of wires shown to mo by a northern member. Indignation was expressed in a telegram to another over the Railway Department’s refusal to run <v special train from Auckland to Wellington for delegates attending the big early closing deputation at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday evening two hours before the debate on the Salo of Liquor Restriction Bill begins. This deputation is described as a " March on Parliament." Every effort is being made, by brass bands and otherwise, to get a lwgo crowd to interview the National Government leaders. The Licensing Bill debate will open at 7.30 p.m. op Tuesday evening, and the public, at any rate, expects something extraordinary in the way of Parliamentary eloquence, judging by tha demand for seats. So great is tho pressure that each member is permitted to have only one ticket for tha strangers’ gallery. The second reading debate to-morrow night is not the vital stage of the Bill. It is in committee that the struggle over hours will take plaoe. The first amendment -will take the form _ of & motion to delete tho 'word "eight." If the Government Bill is backed by 84 majority this motion will be negatived and eight o’clock will be the closing hour, but if carried the whole position will be open and Mr Anderson’s amendment for six o’clock closing comes on. If that should be negatived, successive amendments specifying a later time can b© moved until it becomes obvious that the early closing advocates have secured the best possible result. STRONG LANGUAGE. Dr Gibb’s strong language at an early closing demonstration in Wellington has caused a good deal of comment in parliamentary circles. He declared than the meeting was to display resentment! against “ the Government that had betrayed them.” He “ arraigned it, for moral density,” declaring later that the people arraigned it for moral turpitude and intellectual ineptitude. Ministers were dullards, not keen enough to read the signs of the times. Other countries had seen the lessons of the war. I hey had realised that the nation could not; fight effectively and drink at the same time, but New Zealand’s Ministers saw nothing and felt nothing. White tha - Government of the United States, just entering the war, had stopped tha manufacture of whisky, the Government of New Zealand offered to close hotels at 8 p.m. “ God save us from such dullards,” said Dr Gibb.

REFERENCE IN HOUSE. In the House to-night Mr M’Callum asked the Prime Minister if his attontion had been drawn to remarks made at a public meeting on Sunday night in which the' Premier’s conduct was apparently compared with that of tho Kaiser, and if ho intended to placs the remarks before the Crown Law Officer. (Laughter.) As a Presbyterian,” said Sir M’Callum. I resent very much the remarks made. (Laugm ter .) I don’t think the gentleman who ÜBed the words is in touch with right-thinking people of that congregation.” , i Mr Massey: I saw the remarks referred to reported in the newspapers. I thought at tho time they were vulgarly abusive, but otherwise I don t think they are worthy of potice.. (Hear, hear.) WHY THE SPECIAL WAS REFUSED Mr Poole asked the Minister of Railways to-niglit why, in view of the fact; that special trains were granted for ministerial and other functions, the Government could not see its way to "rant tho request ox a hundred business men of Auckland to charter a train to come to Wellington on a very jnportant matter. . : , . The Hon \V. H. Hemes replied that he was not awar© that special trains were granted on a number of occasions to Ministers. Tho one special train that was granted was within certain hours. Soecial trains could not be granted 'if they went beyond hours consistent with the programme they had set out. If this particular special train applied for were grjmted from Auckland they would have had the whole staff along the line sitting nn all night. “Tho honourable gentleman must know,” added the Minister, “ that we cannot, break through our rule* laid down in order to save the staff.”

A DUNEDIN PROTEST.

[Per Press Association.]

DUNEDIN, September 17.

\ meeting organised by businessmen was held to-night whon a motion was canned protesting emphatically against the failure of tho Government to provide as a wav measuro for closing hotel bars at 6 p.m. and calling upon Parliament to give effect to the widely expressed will of the great majority of the peoole in this respect. There was a fairly "ood attendance and several speeches were made in. favour of six o’clock closing.

METHODIST ORGANISATION’S

LETTER

[PEH PRESS ASSOCIATION.] IIAWF.RA, September 17Tho Rev E. O. Blamires, secretary of the New Zealand Methodist Social Service Union, in a letter to tho Minister of Finance, conveying the congratulations of tho union on the. success of the War Loan, expresses regret that the Government has taken no steps to eliminate the drink evil. He states: —' Few serious attempts are ever made to controvert the truism that the liquor trade is a great- source of inefficiency and' wastefulness in our nation. The public have been assured by the Government of the urgent need of praotis-, ing strict economy. AVe believe that consistency, would direct the Government- to support its own appeal by firm, drastic measures, by a heroic course, with a. view to the immediate ending of the squandering of man and money power that is now visible as a direct outcome, of the liquor trade. Hence w 6 are disappointed beyond measure au the trivial means just suggested by the Government to deal with this problem. It- appears to us—s&y it with &u courtesy, yet with frankness—the height of inconsistency to preach ecoo omy and not- practise it.”

AN AUCKLAND MEETING. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 17. A crowded meeting in the TowC Hall, at which over 3000 persons wera present, carried a resolution expressing

■ protest against the GovernWit tempt to thwart tho will ot Hie by* proposing to close hotels ■ o’clock, when the known and ■l will of the electors was that Wild be closed at six o’clock durHantil six months after the war. Meeting also carried a motion Hally urging the Government, in Ht of its refusal to provide for six ■dosing, to forthivitli introduce Hn to enablo the usual triennial ■he people, due this year, upon Hhibition issue to be taken m ■ the recommendation of the Hy Board. ■don on behalf of Labour that Hon should be held at- the end of ■ent year was. disallowed on tho ■VERCARGILL MOTION. H , er Press Association.] BIItCARGILL, September 17. ■ivercargill Refonn Council, reKg the largest electorate in tho Hn under no-license, resolvedHe of tho experience of partial Hon during tho past twolvo ■ earnestly urges Parliament to ■ o’clock closing. The council ■3 that this is only a partial rcHr the crying evils of the drink ■nt is the only remedy at preHilable, and 'is entitled to tho Hof all statesmen who have, tho Herests of the Dominion at I / Hg the service on Sunday mornHat tho Madras Street Mothod■ch, tho following resolution was Hy Mr Eggleston and seconded by ■ and carried by the congregation ■ the officiating minister, tho ■E. Ward, endorsing the resolu- ■ That this congregation views Hidignation the proposal of ■ernment in the Bill now before ■so dealing witli the liquor traffic, ■the will of tho people expressed Hargely signed petition recently ■ore tne House demanding the ■ent of the hours of tho sale of ■> the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ■nestly requests tho House to ■the prayers of the petitioners, ■he prayer of tho petitioners, ■dations of the Efficiency Board.”