THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XV, Issue 7883, 13 July 1900, Page 4

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

(BY TEr.KOftATH.) « (From our Own Correspondent.) , Wellington, .July 12. Mr Heddon, who has always been remarkable for speaking his mind boldly to deputations, mode no exception to his usual practice to-day, when talking to a deputation of the Temperance organisation*. The members of that deputation, therefore, went- ,away with some clear ideas on tho subject, and are discussing matters) accordingly with the vim 1" he expected umltr the circumstances. ihoy consider that local option is in danger of being merged in the larger option known a« general. Thcv fear that the throe years of what is practically the present tenure of 'iirerisea bids fair to become six. 1 hey have more than a lurking idea, that the extension of local option or its general substitute to the King Country natives and the Europeans who, the Premier suid, are the helpless victims of the poisonous sly grogshanty, will let the deluge of alcohol into tho Maori regions. On tho other side, peoplo declare that tho tourist must bo considered. The tourist, they aver, are sick of tho bad accommodation and worse liquor which is everywhere sold in consequence of tho present system, so sick that he gives the colony a bad name for barbaric discomfort wherever ho goes. General option has its advocates among the people who inveigh against the absurdity of depriving of liquor, on tho one side of an imaginary lino, men who have nothing to do but walk across a non-existent boundary to get as much drink as they like. Tho extension proposal is advocated by those who take .exception to the quality of the existing hotels. What makes the element of a pretty quarrel prettier is the line tlie Premier took with the deputation, and the announcement he made the other day iu mswer to a question: That sly grog-selling has become unendurable an the King Country, and that the state of tilings which 'justified prohibition in that district had passed away before the advance of settlement, which had a right to judgo for itself in this matter of drink or no drink. All of which points to the imminence of a deadly fight on the liquor question. (uy TKI.EORArn.) Wellington, July 12. A deputation, representing the various temperance organisations of the colony, ..raited on the Premier to-day, Mid urged ■hat the King Country be maintained as a Prohibition country in the futuj-e, as it iad been for many years by the consent >f the native race and the sanction of Parliament. They objected to efforts being put forward to introduce licensed houses into tho district, on the ground that the European population might have the same 'ocal option privilege as the other people In the colony.

Mr Seddon replied that it was 14 years >ince the Maoris petitioned Parliament to prohibit the sale of drink ill the King Crffratry, and the altered conditions must be met as they arose. There was no loubt that the licensing of hot-els tended vo diminish sly grog-selling, and it was impossible to put down sly grog-sellng by he ordinary means. He held that the population in all districts should bo put put o;i an equal footing in this matter, md he proposed to grant Europeans and Maoris the right to vote on the subject n the King Couutry as elsewhere. The deputation now had a fair warning, and :ould set to work at once.

In reply to the same deputation Mr Seddon further said that, with regard to licenses in newly-settled districts, the Act was ambiguous, and would be amended so that people within the radius affected would be able to say if hotels would lie allowed. As for returning officers, ! rhey were statutory officers, and the Government could not interfere with them :ny more than they could interfere with Magistrates. Whatever the law was the legislature was responsible for it, but it should be carried out impartially, and that was what they wanted to see done. As :o the question of national option, it vould be necessary that the movement in "hat direction should be gefteral, and not ectional, before it could be carried into ! aw. The matter would doubtless, when it came before Parliament, be considered. He believed that national option would be more enduring than local. He did not think a hard and fast rule desirable in. the ■matter of the closing hour, as the convenience of the public required that certain houses should be kept open later than the ordinaiy hour, but he would leave the question to be decided by the vote of the people. He intended to move in the direction of improving the conditions under which hotels were held. Rents- were so high, and the conditions of occupancy,were :uch as to make it impossible to pay all the charges and conduct the business within the law. Parliament would have to deal with the queston of the period of taking the licensing poll. He had not considered the question of making the national option vote effective on a bare majority.