Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1927 LICENSING BILL PASSES THE HOUSE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 1 December 1927, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1927 LICENSING BILL PASSES THE HOUSE

NO doubt, the Prime Minister fully appreciates the aptness of the heading "Playing with a Rattlesnake’’ which an Auckland paper gave to its comments upon tho embarrassing and unenviable predicament, in whch be had been placed by tho action of the House in making radical amendments to the Licensing

ct Amendment. Bill which lie sponsored. There has been much speculation as to the course of action Mr Coates would take. After a period of uncertainty during which all attempts at. compromise were unavailing--the anti-liquor forces were not likely to give away the advantage of having secured a vote in favour of two issues, a hare-majority decision and a triennial poll —Mr Coates brought the Bill before Parliament yes-

ter day and it was put through all'stages. Some minor amendments proposed by the Prime Minister were carried, but the vital decisions made by the House in the first instance were not altered.

The position that lias arisen is acclaimed by ardent no-licenso supporters as a great victory. But is it? Two questions are being asked: Jlow many of those who have voted' in tho past for the now-eliminated issue of State Control will vote for no-licensC? Will all thb present voters for Prohibition continue to vote for no-license when they realise that a stupendous change in the social conditions of the country may be effected by a majority of one vote? Time alone will tell, if the Bill finally becomes law. Jt may bo stated, however, that many consistent supporters of Prohibition fen- years past regarded Mr Coates’s pro-, posal of 55-45 proportion on a two-issue ballot paper as reasonable. They realised that the unsatisfactory third issue would disappear, and that such a great jehange as the carrying of no-licenso would involve, should not be brought about except by a more strongly- expressed desire of the people than would be indicated by a bare majority. No doubt many of these supporters will vote as thev have done hitherto.

It is of interest to review tho voting on the Licensing since the reduction issue was eliminated in 1911; In that year, when the anti-liquor forces were labouring under what they termed “the unfair handicap of the three-fifths majority,” they secured a majority which works out at 55.83 per cent, in favour of Prohibition and 44.17 against. It will thus be seen that had Mr Coates’s 55-45 proposal been in force then, Prohibition would have been carried. The figures for the last six polls are:—

*Nationnl Prohibition with compensation. -(•lncludes votes for State Control.. In the last three polls, therefore, the. majority against Prohibition rose from 3,262 to 36,177. Despite the increasing vote against Prohibition, as shown in 1922, the excellent organising ability of the New Zealand Alliance succeeded 'in 1925 in obtaining pledges from a majority of members, and from even a majority of those pledged to support Mr Coates. So that we witnessed the. somewhat anomalous position of an increased ariti-Pro-hibition vote, but a House consisting of a majority pledged to the legislative aims of the Prohibition Party. The carrying out of those. pledges, which were obtained quite openly, has produced the dismay of the Prime Minister. He, however, did not attempt to make the issue a Party one. It would have been futile to have done so under the circumstances, with even prominent members of his Cabinet opposed to his proposals. There will be the keenest interest in the atti tude of the Legislative Council towards •lie Bill. Even if that Chamber passes t'n® measure there seems to remain a doubt whether it will become law, as the Prime Minister declined to enlighten Sir Joseph Ward last night when he sought to ascertain if the GovernorGeneral would be advised to sign tho measure—tho final formality necessary. Although Mr Coates declined to movo that the report of the Committee ho adopted .by tho House—a motion which an ox-Minister of the Reform Party brought forward—we cannot believe that ho will take tho responsibility of advising the Governor-General to withheld his signature to a Bill passed by both Houses of the Legislature. It was reported in several papers a few days ago that representations which appeared to take the form of an ultimatum had been made to Mr Coates by 41 out of 53 Reformers that unless he proceeded with the Bill a crisis might develop within the Party. That crisis would surely he precipitated if he took the drastic step mentioned.

For Against National National Prohibition Prohibition 1911 259,945 205.661 1.914 247,217 257,442 *1919 (Apvill 253,827 264,189 1919 (December) ... 270,260 +273,512 1922 300,791 +318,396 1915 319,450 +355,627