LICENSING BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 3 December 1927, Page 7

LICENSING BILL

BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COUNGL %| DEBATE MEASURE PASSED AS AMENDED; (By Telegraph) . .- '- /..;?,. (From "The Mail's" Parliamentary '-•"'"■ Reporter). ■■'■.;■::■ WELLINGTON, This Day,"' 1 „' J As reported in "The Mail" yesterday '-'" the Legislative Council ; made' SeVer^r. drasfjic amendments' to the Licensing Act Amendment 'BiU/;alt«rifig:;'cf(jj)sicl:;? „ t-rably the proposals 'adapted "by- 'the,'" r House of Representatives'. ' The * bate.t-" majority issue was thrown out and" re-"'" placed by a compromise uiider which tHa', voting for and against no-license' fiiitst *'" be 52£ per cent, to per cent, in order to carry prohibition. 'The debate.,,Was.',"' continued after "The Mail" went to* press as follows: '' : ■. "'""",*.*',..;^" 1 On the motion of the Rt. Hon. .Sir''!' Francis Bell, the clause providing f ot: * the registration of barmen was deleted f, from the Bill after a brief discussion.'''V,T' SIX-YEAR POLLS '.. ■;'}' *•" The Hon. V. H. Reed then moved a---new clause providing for six-year polls ~, in order to give some stability and en-,,.'; able licensees to'make improvements to-■ their'premises. ' . '. *. " - .'•' '.;■. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm raised •, trie objection that once that was concededV; • there would be demands for an 'extension''""' to nine, or twelve years. . ' ,-'" v. ( The Hon. L. M.. Isitt. said 'that -the, .-• proposal would-result, in a. further. nbss"7"" in the hold on the Trade., *. --; .-. :,_^ The Hon. J. B.Gow argued that,tho" period should not be increased .until.trie.-.; period between the general.elections was' A extended. -. . .■■■..!:.-:,■"..*": ~'-ii Mr Reed further explainod that- he -did : -.a* not aim at assisting the Trade so as the moderate licensee who wishexLtcr.; improve his premises. He,referr,ed,.vtom, the dilapidated cohdition-of-Triany hotels, ?,--. The lit. Hon. Sir Robert Stqut also*.-, opposed'the'extension. ~.■?-.,•;'•>•;« .■:.. Sir Francis Bell said that if prohibit -•>:■' tion was carried he wanted a .six-years.*;,i' interval.to see the reform established.'.i=... Mr Malcolrpr the .extendi sion would enable the Trade to-amassi,', greater funds with which to-fight polling:';;' campaigns. ;-■;. -~ ■■ The Council • adjourned at.-,this till 2:30. -- "' ■>>•* •.v : -.7-\, *j?tf-*icj#;

DEFINITTON OF.WINE twe

Sir Francis Bell moved'anatpendment-'•• to the definition of the term "wine," for \ the purpose.ofwinemakers' licenses;-Un-der the present-law"; he said, the strength;,, of New Zealand-made wine'mhst not' ex^;>;,, ceed 40 per cent, of proof spirit. -The"'amendment adhered to that proyis,ibn ; bnt'' '■ allowed an admixture of brandy. This was agreed.to. , •.;-. '"„ -. *,--,'! Sir Francis referred to' 'an anoJnaly*^'', , whereby a wine vendor in "New' y, was not allowed to sell wine exceeding'"' 20 per cent; of alcoholic strength.. On , his motion an. amendment was : agreed'.: to enabling New Zealand wine"' of per cent, proof spirit to be 501 d... V - ? -* v The clause struck' a out --by the House of Representatives -, - requiring 4 % licensed premises to. provided a; sufficient : r hot water service in bars.was reinserted, together .with.an addendum, affecting ;t»he r . . Sanitary' coirvenience of employees >as, U wellas of guests. ' . ...;.. >,' -;V; .•.;..■;.•;..•.'■•?.;:. Other clauses inserted on Sir Francis , ■ Bell's motion provided that no copsidera-,.,. : tion other than lent.should be accepted ; : by the owners of licensed premises. in,-re^.. w ; spect of leases or other disposition of -the;g premises and that a licensing .•committeo ; •,■■ may refuse an application for the; trans—,/; fer*of a license if it is of the •opinion;/ that the consideration paid, in, respect. of.j. ;i \ the transfer is excessive.,- - -,,.. -.-m -*».... •■>?.• v The deleted by tthe. House, Representatives requiring the; register ;of ■-. barmaids tb.be transferred by .th.e;'S9et., (J ii retary of Labour to; the of YoWzo was reinstated, togeLher wi'hj;!;. the sub-clause rendering barmaids liabJf*.;.. 'to a £lO per day fine for every day. of •-,->- non-registration. .'/.;;;" ; .''■:■. \j(#i~p.p "POPULARITY WITH THE i/." /j. BREWERS" ' In explaining that Mr Coates had pro Vr mised to hold the clause over for con- !.. sideration when the Bill before..,t.iier;;,;Council, Sir Francis added :• "I- hope-it---.-. will not be inferred that the right hon. • gentleman is seeking popularity, with the brewers." : : ' r,, i;- "'&/, At this stage the Hon; -J.- B. " Gow, the member in charge of the Bill,as it was introduced in the Council, intimated that he no longer wished $o be held responsiblefor it. -'Tcan rib longer feel,he said, "that those <with whom I am ». associated can treat the Bill : as theirs. >-» (Hear, hear).. It is necessary*then, if it' is to be carried on properly, that it should be in the hands of one who is m svmpathv with the measure. From tHmyt onwards*Sir Francis Be'.l has un'dertake.i-'. to take charge of it." ■•.:.„,/ , 'v-F' Sir Francis made it clear that Jie dut not take charge of the Bill as. Leader; of the Council, but as a member who was prepared to undertake that* re-. f sponsibility on behalf of its mover.iir, the House of Representatives now thaf it had been altered by the Council. , Ol the motion of Mr Reed a new clause' was added, giving licensing.com-,-; -, mittees the power to insist upon the-'•-alteration and rebuilding of licensed premises. ;" y_.

COUNCIL'S POWER TO ALTER BILL.

Speaking on - the third, reading,"; Sir Robert Stout said he doubted the power of the Council to do what:it had done for the Bill really involved appropriation.ot... Crown assets. . fiJliu Mr Weston said no democracy was-en-titled to interfere with' the habits and inclinations of a very large minority on a minority vote. If prohibition was to come, let it come once and for all. < ( Mr Gow reasserted the prohibitionists v ip contention that they were actuated;not* " for benefit of the individual, but: of: the masses, who were suffering indirectly from the evil effects of the licensed The third reading was carried by 21 "" votes to' 13. The division list r was as follows : - '•.••■ - -.-. <- - -_ ' , Aves: Bell, Rhodes, Alison, Barf, Carrington, Clark, Cohen, Collins, Garland, Lancr, MacKenzie, Mclntyre, Mander, ■ Mitchelson, Newman, -Pel, Rikihana, Snodgrass, Triggs,''.Weston, WitW; Noes: Craigie, Gow. HaJlrJones, Hanan,.Hawke, Isitt, MacGrcgor, Malcolm, Mickel, Moore, Smith, »t?«t,.p Thomson. _____ •- "."