LICENSING REFORM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 July 1927, Page 10

LICENSING REFORM

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL MEETING COMMENT ON POSSIBLE LEGISLATION" (H.v Tele;;tapl.i -Special to '"Jlie Mail") WELLINGTON, This Day. The annual report of the Dominion executive <■! the .New Zealand Licensing Reform prepared lor the Conference being held in Wellington Inday, slate- ih::i. during the year the in llu'ence of 'la' organisation was further extended. The year opened with a credit balance < I SSlli'i and concluded with a credit o!' £205.

LEGISLATION 1, The expected legislation mi licensing matters was introduced before the last conference met, and dclegates-i thereat had the opportunity of examining the Bill and making proposals for its amendment and extension. The Conference expressed its keen disappointment with the provisions of the Bill. It had been fully anticipated that the recommendations for piactical reform made by the special Parliamentary committees, after examination of the questions covering many years, would have been included. In addition lo this the several additional sound and practical proposals made by this Association were expected to have been submitted for the consideration of the House. Acting on the instructions of the last conference the executive immediately prepared a series of amendments to bring about the incorporation in the Licensing Act of the practical reforms) above referred to. The Bill, however, had a very short life, For after its first reading the Government, yielding to the truculent demands and threats of the Prohibition party, withdrew the measure.

"This means," continues the report, "that we are now in practically (he same position as we were at the last Conference exccpl id that time a Bill of sorts had actually been introduced. The Association has'now the opportunity of making renewed representations lo the Government lo adopt the beneficial reforms embodied in our proposals and to deal with licensing legislation in Jie interests of temperance as against the pernicious proposal of prohibition. The Conference will be asked to decide what, stops should be taken.

PARLIAMENT "It will be. remembered that in the last annual report reference was made to the rumours thai the prohibitionists claimed lo have a majority of members of Parliament pledged'to carry oul their ilistrttclions. This has now developed into an open boast on the part cf the prohibitionists. Al a recent deputation to the Prime Minister their speakers clearly stated that J hey had a majority of the members of" Parliament pledged to thunt, and demanded that a Bill containing their proposals should be introduced at once, and that the forms of the. House should not be permitted to be used to prevent the passing of their particular brand of legislation. If the Government yields to this demand it will simply mean the yielding of the powers) aud authority of the people's Parliament to the control of a minority outside the ■Mouse. The attention of delegates is drawn lo the far-reaching possibilities of such a pernicious system. It will be remembered that at the la:t general election this Association requested the various party leaders and the individual candidates to refuse to pledge themselves to any organisation on the

subjecl of licensing legislation. Wc did nut sock iiny pledges ourselves, and uyked merely Hint tin.- nicmbor:; af Parliament should keep themselves free to approach licensing legislation, when jI. r.'jjiic before llic-ni iii Parliament with ;i lnV' hand iiiid liwil witli il in (ho interests of I lie country as ii whole, liven if (lit; moderate section were, in ;i minority (which they arc mil.! I'ii'. Government.

d( I In; day would have ,i moral respons ibilily lu pro-ted Hipiii from such actri nicntnl it. ults as .follow political in ti mm.' and tho conl ml of I'arlianienl In

;,n outside organiunlion. But seeing that the. prohibitionists arc nnd iiavc been ejection after election, in an increasing minority, il is nothing short of farcical that they sticuld be permitted to uictate Ihe polity of Government and the activities and procedure of Parliament. "Delegates will be asked to reconsider tin.' question of the altitude of this Association tic candidates for Parliament in view if rt>r recent developments above referred to."

RESULTS OF PROHIBITION The report adds that delegates would have noted thai prohibition had proved and wan proving a complete- failure wherever attempted throughout the world. Shut last Conference it had been abandoned in Norway and in further Canadian provinces. After seven years of trial America was now socially and morally in worse condition than before the commencement of national prohibition. Capital was made by the pre hibiiionisls of the apparent financial prosperity of tho United Stales, but Britisher knew that this was due, in Hie first part to Tier position as a creditor nation in the world war. The position in Canada was thai, with the completion of the recent action of the provincial legislature of New Brunswick, there would remain only two dry provinces—Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the Premier of the latter had already signified his intention ot lighting an election campaign this year 051 a Government control platform. Perhaps the most dramatic feature of this reversion of Canada from the experiment of prohibition to the legalised manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors, was in the case of Ontario, where, at the end of last year Premier Ferguson's Government went to the country on the policy of substituting a system of State Control for the existing system of Prohibition. The result wan a sweeping victory over the Prohibition forces. Mr Ferguson secured 74 seats out of 112, giving him a majority of 46 in the Legislature of Ontario. At the Quebec elections held in May of this year Air L. A. Tachcreau's Government, which instituted Slate control following on an extended trial of Prohibition some years ago, swept the province and captured 72 seats out of 85, which is an indication of the satisfaction of the people witn Ihe Quebec liquor law and its administration. These striking testimonies to the success of a moderate policy in regard to liquor legislation in the. interests of temperance, ami the approval shown by the peoples al'feclcd, should give encouragement to the Government and Parliament of New Zealand to set aside the extreme demands of the prohibitionists and proceed to legislate fearlessly in the interests of all people in the 'Dominion. "Prohibition had been definitely discredited: let us endeavour to do something through the legislature in the interests of true temperance," adds the report.