LIQUOR IN NO-LICENSE AREAS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 268, 13 November 1909, Page 8

LIQUOR IN NO-LICENSE AREAS.

liE&SLATION MUST PASS THIS

SESSION

■■ It transpired, (says the New Zea^landt Times);<* that the arrangement Was entered into > independently, Lby &oth parties through time agency of the Hon. Dr. Findlay, acting as a friendly intermediary. Separate requests were made in writing to the Prime Minister, asking him to pass into law this year legislation embody^ ing these proposals, each party undertaking to do all in its power to further the passing of ~the necessary Bill. " It will be observed that although titfovision has been made to prevent ftnp 'manufacture or sale of liquor in the event; of the carrying of Dominion no-lieerise', it is- not proposed to preterit liquor, going into local nofjcense, areas. It is understood that the representatives of the Trade desired a clause embodying this provision to be inserted into the agreement, but that the Alliance representatives stood firm in refusal.

1 Attempts made to ascertain the •views of Members of Parliament as to the arrangement were not very 'successful; but it is ascertained from orie influential source that a section of representatives resent what they Consider to be an attempt to unduly interfere with the prerogatives of and that some oppo?iiiaon will be shown to the proposed on this ground. Quite a .. ■riumbei' -of Members, on the other ihaiid,'welcome the compromise as the 'herald of settlement •of a irexed ques"jtioriV and'as the means* by which finality oan best .be teached. . They •cbrisidertltat as it proposes to place the settlement: of •';■ the? issue in the hands of .the electors on a fair and reasonable basis "that, it will answer a vei-y'valuable;purpose..' .; ; ■■■! ■•; It wijl be observed that if the, ! Bgreemerit-'is not eihbodied in legisla-i tion during the present -session it will ■be no longer binding. !i ■..• • ■ Judging by the" expressions of opin- ; ion omaiiatißg'.frbih the parties- most ' interested it upbears that the prO- : hibition section 'm th» more prone ty> exultation. ' The no-license leaders . are prone to the view that-moderate ©pinion—the • decisive factor in the issue—is likely to. lean towards abolition. The liquor party, while wel■coming any device likely .to ensure : finality, 'are hot confident that they have by any means secured the best <©f the 'bargain. ■■ At the same .time, ' ihey &ie -confident that when the ' issue «f no licence'no'Hquor is fairly ;"' put,before the community, many of those wliO; have hitherto voted no- ■ license out of antipathy to monopoly and for other reasons'will be likely to reconsider their- votes. They weU come.: th^" claust* 'providing for ex-' tension of the time of terminating

licenses after' the closing of the polls as more, just and reasonable-'than the' Old method of closing "hotels after a poll in fevdui* Sf ;nb-lic«in*e.