EARLY CLOSING QUESTION

Nelson Evening Mail, 21 July 1916, Page 5

EARLY CLOSING QUESTION

DISCUSSION IN, THE HOUSE. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, This Day % In the House of Representatives tl.o debate on the second reading of the. War Regulations Bill was resumed. Mr Anderson and Mr Wilkinson supported ! early closing. Mr Statham, who opposed early closing, denied, that when ihc spoke on. the bringing np of the report of the M to Z Committee he was doing .so with tho object of "talking out" the report. Mr Isitt, in an- emotional, sneech, protested against the refusal of members of tho House to yield to the demand of the majority of "the people that proper safeguards should be provided: to guard soldiers against temptation. They were calling upon mothers and sons to make extreme sacrifices, bnt yet they wero told that the liquor trade must not beasked to make any sacrifice. They had been told that if'the hotels were closed at six it would, mean a loss of £12,000, 000 a year. What must the trade profits be, if this loss would be involved'by closing hotels four hours earlier? Tha Attorney-General, in refei-ring to . .the. last liqxior poll and contracts afterwards entered into, had spoken of "a scrap .of paper.'" This was only special pleading. Was there any talk about "a scrap of paper"' when the hours were reduced from 11 to 10, or when the Auckland hotels were closed for several days on the occasion of the 1913 strike? Li-, censes were merely permits and licensees knew their position . when, they went into hotels. .That permit-had been modified at various, times, and if the _ poiver of modification were now _ exercised no special case for compensation could bo made out. If, as had been alleged', the wholesale branch of the trade .would benefit by early _ closing' at the expense of the retailers, it should be more heavily taxed and an adjustment made with the retail branch. Dr Newman thought the House should pay regard to the fact that over 100,000 people had askedfor six o'clock closing. If the-House did not like to. take upon itself the responsibility of early closing, they should have, arrefe r endnrti. , /' -Mr Wright said that that was so, but the licenses were granted year by year. Members had no mandate from the peopie in regard to early closing, and tlxe proper course would bo to take a referendum. 1 . Mr McCombs supported early closing, and Mr Scott opposed it. ■ . Mr Payne advocsited State control .of - the liquor traffic. Mr Herdman, in replying, said- that any curtailment of hotel hours would afr feet every part of the Dominion. ■. It •would throw a large number of people out of employment, and the whole coun-. try from the North Cape to the Bluff w-quld' have idle men. The Prohibitionists were making this-an occasion, for aa endeavour to further their political creed 1 . This was to bo. regretted'. As to the soldiers it was admitted l-lut there was very little drunkenn<jss abouk_ tlie camp or amongst the troops. , A statement had been attribued to Mr Lloyd George that .drink was the nation's greatest enemy, and that . th-t _ country was in the grip of t)i'is greatest enemy. If this were so\it. was: most.. remarkable thing that the nation-shpu'd - have been able to do so much* in not only prosecuting the war on her own behalf . but also, in 'giving assistance to her. Al- " lies. Britain, in dealing with the restriction of the liquor traffic, had done so in the best way. He believed ; that when a hotel was taken or the right* of individuals interfered' with, compensation was paid. He believed, however, that it was only in special areas- such, as munitions districts at Home that the sale of liquor was curtailecl. If they ha 1 six or eight o'clock closing it would mean that the hotel doors would be barred against soldiers after 'those .hours. They should- not deny to sol-- / diers, who. were going to fight for .their country, the liberty they " now enjoyed' ,in this respect. As to the economic aspect there was no reason for singling "■ out one -particular..industry for interference. Why not turn attention to picture shows or other fornas of No special trader woulcl be singled out. A member : Why not trust tlie people? Mr Herdman said that.the voice of ' the people was alwd-j'eentitled to re-, specfc, but experience • elsewhere, now sho\yed that the.'voice; of - thfe peojjle was not necessarily the voice of ' wis-. dom. .■ ' '• ' The second leading was carried, an<i the House rose at 11.45. ' The Committee stage of the Bill will be 'taken next week.