THE LICENSING BILL

Northern Advocate, 10 November 1927, Page 4

THE LICENSING BILL

True to Kis promise, ; the; - > Prime Minister has given Parliament an opportunity to express its min(| upon the thorny question 'of licensing legislation. He introduced on Tuesday a Licensing Amendment Bill, the provisions- of which, ■ have surprised all sections of the community; Mr Coates made it perfectly clear that the Bill was. in no sense- sponsored by the Government. It was the product of his own thought, and he alone was responsible for its submission to Parliament. He declared that he had not consulted Cabinet, and he gave members of his party freedom to act as they wished towards the Bill. If nothing is allowed to obstruct the progress of the Bill, the country will, therefore, he enabled to learn Parliament’s attitude towards the licensing question. Mr Coates proposes the elimination of the State Control issue, a period of six years betw-ecu licensing polls and a majority of 55 per cent, to carry Prohibition or restore license. A number of important, though subsidiary, matters are dealt with in the Bill, but the proposals in Which public interest will centre are those defining the issues to bo put before the people on polling day, the extension of the period between licensing polls and the majority required to carry a proposal. Already some disapproval has been uttered by advocates and opponents of Prohibition, which suggests a stormy passage for the Bill. Mr Coates has evidently tried to make a compromise, a task which is always exceedingly difiiculit and , rarely satisfactory. He has proposed concessions to the “Trade” and to the Prohibitionists. To the former he offers extension of the period between licensing polls. This has long been demanded by the ‘' Trade, ’ ’ which has contended that the present period of three years is altogether too short to warrant hotelkeepers in embarking upon expensive rebuilding schemes. Nine years was the period demanded. Mr Coates x iro P oses six years. To the Prohibition Party Mr Coates concedes a point vigorously demanded —the abolition of State Control from the ballot paper. This, however, it is contended, is offset by the proposed removal of the bare majority in the decision of an issue. These are only some of the matters around which controversy will revolve. The Bill will probably undergo changes. It is, no doubt, only intended as a framework to be clothed by Parliament. Its treatment will be very closely scrutinised by the people of the Dominion.