BARE MAJORITY THROWN OUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 2 December 1927, Page 5

BARE MAJORITY THROWN OUT

WELLINGTON, This Day:'/’ The Legislative Cbuncjl resumed the discussion this morning on the LicejisingAct Amendment Bill, going straight' Into the committee stage. The/Hon. V. H. Reed moved an. amendment)'t'o pro,-., vide for a majority riage ofprohibition. / "'•‘-t The Hon. Colonel G. J;; "Smith, fended the principle of the bare majority which obtained as a recognised principle in New. Zealand, Mr Isit-t maintained that prohibitionists had fought for the bare majority and could not give ground now that they had secured it in the Bill. There was no possibility of their making such' a- sacrifice. • . - Mr Reed said he was in favour of a' sane handicap being given to the ‘ prohibitionists and he asked for'a’,'fair trial of what he’proposed. • • The Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones stib-' mitted that wrong would -be done t« the people if the- decision-.of-peoplels" representatives in the House-was.'altered_ in any respect, and he' declared that -tluv Bill should be passed in its present form:' The Hon. J 8.. Gow : urged.,.that the amendment would impose a greater handicap on the prohibitionists than they already had and he proceeded to argue" that the abolition of the third issue would be' to the benefit of the continuance party. As against this Mr Reed quoted figures in support- of his contention that the prohibitionists would make a bjggest gain, receiving a majority .of over 1000 on the basis of the voting at the last.poll.. Several speakers depreciated juggling of figures and the use of the supposition that nine-tenths of the State control votes would go to continuance. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm argued that the majority of those who supported State control did so because they wanted licensing leform. The amendment was carried, by : , 21 votes to 11. • • 7 ' :ZJ (Left sitting)

CHRISTCHURCH OPINIONS . / (By Telegraph—Special to “The Mail”) CHRISTCHURCH, Ist Dec. ‘ ‘Supporters of.. Prohibition are.- very satisfied with the news that the, Licencing Bill has passed its third reading, in the Lower House, though they; realise that it may not yet see the end oi its rather troubled career. Representatives of the licensed Trade, on the' other hand, are silent on the subject of the Bill. “If the Bill, goes through the Upper House in its present form, it will afford general satisfaction and will make conditions in regard to the Licensed Trade generally, much" better,” said Mr J. A. Flesher, one of the leaders of the nolicense movement in Christchurch. “The Bill is entirely in accord with what we have felt for years” said Mr Flesher. “All great social' questions should be submitted in such st way that the mind of the people ! - can be adequately expressed. The submission of triangular issues, 'like triangular elections, never brings a satisfactory. result or a. satisfactory" "expression of the mind of the people on the question'. "The decision of the Lower House to-sub'-mit only two issues is very satisfactory, as is the decision, nest to make any" alteration to the length of the" time-be-tween polls.” • - Mr Flesher considered that the minor matters covered by the Bill certaintyimproved conditions generally in the Trade. The provision concerning- the registration of barmen was, he thought, a good one, as had been shown by: the working of the experiment in Canada. “The Government which is prepared to give the public the right to express itself clearly and. simply on All great moral questions, xVill win the goodwill and suPDort of all people who care for the welfare of the .country,” concluded Mr Flesher.

“We are well pleased with the course of events,” said Mr J. Joyds, a past president of the New Zealand Alliance. “If the Bill does go through the Legislative Council unaltered, . the Prohifiilion Party will have all it wants.”

Mr W. Nidd, president of the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association, preferred not- to comment on the Bill till it was seen whether it would pass the Upper House. “We are in- the hards of the public just at present,”- ho said.