NATIONAL PROHIBITION AND LOCAL OPTION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10580, 8 October 1910, Page 2

NATIONAL PROHIBITION AND LOCAL OPTION.

THREE-FIFTHS MAJORITY ALTERED. ; -ABOLITION OF BARMAIDS. 'A- ~„" -, .■-> By Telegraph. £W (Special to the Oamaru Mail.) i-' -" Wellington, Octbber'7. '.- 'ln substantiation of rumors that have fbcen current for some time, Lhc Government introduced unexpectedly to--night an amendment to the licensing "law making some very drastic alterations to the existing law in the direction of providing a national prohibition issue with local option and the elimination of the reduction issue, and an alteration from a three-fifths majority, to an eleven-twentieths majority. / —Tho Bill Explained 'The Prime Minister, in explaining; the provisions of the Bill, sakl that it should establish a system under which a vote for national prohibition could be taken upon the basis of 55 per'cent. for' or against the proposal. Th'er,e would be two issues only, for or' against national prohibition, but the' vote at the same time would apply to the question of local option. In districts where licenses existed the two questions put would be: I vote against national prohibition. I vote for national prohibition. The votes in each district would be calculated also for or against local option. A vote for or against restoration would be'.taken in no-license districts. —Manufacture or Sale Prohibited. — In the event of national prohibition being carried, said the Prime Minister, it would be operative for four years, and during that time liquor would not r be allowed to be imported, manufactured, or sold in New Zealand. In local-1 option the decision of the people would I come into operation one year after the date of the general election. In both cases the vote would be taken at the time of the general,election. The local option term would remain as it was now. —No Limit to Voters' Number. — The ; Prime Minister went on to say that the Bill would repeal the.provision that~half the electors on the roll would have to go to the poll to constitute a valid licensing election. Mr Russell: Does not that mean there will be a prohibition vote where there is no Parliamentary contest? The Prime Minister: Yes. In the event of a walk-over there will be a licensing poll. Sir Joseph Ward added that under the Bill no liquor would be sold to anyone under 21 years of age. The Bill proposed to prevent the' em- - nloyment of barmaids, excepting those registered on a roll within a certain time of the coming into operation of the Act. It would not interfere with the " wives and daughters of the licens_e e or .prevent a woman from becoming a licensee. —Liquor in Native Areas. — The law regarding the sale*of liquor to Natives would remain unaltered. There would be no widening of the existing provisions or removal of pre-: sent restrictions. The request for'the •introduction of local option in certain districts where it did not now exist was not provided for. - —City Licensing Polls. — Among a number of other alterations proposed was one ■to remove the Haw found to exist in connection with the city electorates. It was proposed that the vote upon the licensing ' question ' .should not be taken in the _ individual electorates in and around cities, a provision being inserted to group them for the purpose. The flaw which was to be removed was in connection with the alteration of boundaries, for at present it was very questionable whether a licensing poll could be taken in the cities at all. "Will you state when the national nolicense vote is to take place?" asked Mr Allen. "On the day of tho general election," was the-reply. The Bill was subsequently read tho 'first timo without discussion, and set down for second reading next sitting day. —Details of tho Bill The Licensing Amendment: Act is of 1 42 clauses.' It provides that at next licensing poll the questions will be submitted on the ballot paper iin such n form that every vote recorded for national, prohibition will be deemed also to be a vote for local prohibition, and every vote against national prohibition will count in favor of local continuation of licenses. Whenever a, license is granted its'renewal is to be annual until the coming into force of the next:pbll. No-license extends to any publican's license, New Zealand wine license, accommodation license, packet license, wholesale license, conditional license, charter of a club, or license to sell liquor at a railway refreshment room. —ln' No-license Areas. — Electors in the no-license areas will be called upon to decide two issues '..thus set out: "I vote against national prohibition." -; (This vote is also also counted in favor of licenses in the district.) . •' "I vote for national prohibition." (This vote is also counted against the - restoration of licenses in the district.) Restoration will be carried upon a vote of 55 per cent, of the total votes polled against national prohibition,; and. will come into operation one year after the general election.. The Licensing Committee then to be constituted will be entitled to issue publicans' licenses not exceeding one for every complete four hundred electors, and not-, less (if such a number is applied for) and not lessthan one for every complete 800 elec-. tors. —Changed Boundaries. — A lengthy clause provides, in regard to changing of boundaries of electoral districts, that if one licensing district becomes comprised w T ithin the area of another, the original Committee shall fyave jurisdiction until the Committee of the new district is constituted, and the conditions of license or no-license originally prevailing will continue until the next licensing poll. If, when the first licensing poll is to be taken in the new district; the grant of licenses is byreason of a former licensing poll prohibited throiighout any area thereof containing more than half the population of the district, the poll shall be taken upon the question of restoration as if the grant of'licenses was prohibited throughout the whole of the new district. Fourteen days before the poll a Gazette notice will intimate how the question will be put in changed areas. —Machinery of the Act. — It will be the duty of the Minister of Justice after each licensing poll to ascertain the following from the returning officers —(a) The total number of votes recorded at valid licensing polls throughout New Zealand in favor of national prohibition; (b) the total number of votes recorded at valid, licensing ,polls throughout New Zealand. - v-_ If" the total number of the'votes so recorded in favor of national prohibition ; is : not less than 55 per centuin of the total number of the Votes so, recorded at" valid licensing polls throughout New Zealand' the" determination of the electors of 'New Zealand shall be deemed to bo in» favor of national'prohibition, and this determination shall, when it comes into force, supersede the determination of the electors of any licensing district. - _ • Any'such determination -in "favor of national prohibition -shall- co'me,. into force on-the expiration of fcfur years • after the day of the general election, on* which the licensing , polls were! taken.*'" Any such determination in'Jfavor 0f... national prohibition shall remain,- in force until superseded by the coininginto force of a determination 1 of the electors of New Zealand 'in favor .'of-the restoration. Any person who )&fter the coming into force of national prohibition imports into New Zealand, manufactures, soils, or has in his possession for the purpose of sale any intoxicating liquor or who attempts to commit any such offence or who aids, abets, or proI cures the commission of any such offence, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding. £IOO in the case of a first offence and to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months in the case of n. second or any subsequent offence against this section whether of the same -or of a different kind. Where the defendant is a body corporate the penalty shall be a fine not exceeding £2OO in the ease of a first offence, and a fine not exceeding £looo,for a second or any subse-I quent offence. I