Matter of Urgency

NZ Truth, Issue 882, 21 October 1922, Page 1

Matter of Urgency

An important point calling for the immediate attention of our loquacious Legislature is raised' by "Lex" m a letter to "Truth." He. writes:—

As the Prohibition Doll is so< near a question has naturally been raised as to how the loss arising from/ the cancellation of a license is to ac apportioned between the owner and the lessee of - the licensed premise^, tender the,.old system of local option the Legislature very properly provided that m. the event of licensed premises being closed as a result of a poll of the electors of the district the lessee might cancel his\lease or have his rent adjusted by arbitration. It was equitable -that the burden should be borne by the capitalistic owners rather than by the struggling^ tenants. But for some unexplained reason the Act does not expressly give any similar relief m the event of Dominion Pl'ohibition being carried. Common justice, of course, would require that the tenant should have m each case the same protection. There are many instances where men have taken long leases 4>f hotelsi relying on the , old . power of cancellation or overlooking" the fact that such power has not been expressly conferred by the later legislation. In justice not only to them especially, ' but to all lessees of hotel property, it seems reasonable to ask that Parliament, even at this late hour of the session, should effectively protect the j. tenants, S^The matter should not be left over for the special costly session. Of 'Parliament which Mr. . Massey states he will summon if Prohibition is carried. While he Is dealing wi,th this point he 'might enlighten the country as to the method he proposes to adojpt to make up for the loss m revenue should the death knell of the 'liquor trafflo be sounded m December.