NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

Northern Advocate, 2 July 1917, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

ANNUAL "CONGRESS.

onus on parliament:

At" the annual congress of-the New Zealand Alliance, held in Wellington, the annual report stated inter alia: "The time has come, for Parliament either to go forward or for its members to be set aside. The absolute •minimum that can be accepted is that no liquor shall be sold, either wholesale or retail, in brewery, warehouse, bar, club, or Bellamy's, from 6 o'clock at night till 8 o'clock next morning during the period of the war, and for at least six months thereafter. If Parliament fails to grant' this small measure of reform at once, we demand that it shall forthwith, submit the question of prohibition to a referendum of the people, to. become operative as soon fes carried..: The sum of £24,038, 13s 9d has beenexpended by three working men's clubf* alone* and mostly for liquor. What must have been the amount for the 48 chartered clubs in the Dominion? We are told that there are many houseswhich do so little business in providing beds and meals for; the public that the* closing of, at 6. o'clock do them very little harm, Mr H. J.M.PV for Taranaki, rendered a. national service when he gave his casting vote, which enabled a-petition o"f----100,000 persons to come before the House for consideration."

The report mentioned seven men who the forces of the House in an effort to kill the possibility of the prayer .of 100,000 people being granted." They were Messrs. J. Vigor Brown, M.P. (Napier), A. E. Glover, M.M. (Auckland), A. McCallum, M.P. (Wairau), J. Payne, M.P. (Grey Lynn), E. O. Statham, M.P. (Dunedin), 'Dr. Thacker, M.P. (Christchurch), and G. Witty, M.P. (Riccarton).