THE LICENSING POLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19762, 13 April 1926, Page 10

THE LICENSING POLL.

WILL IT BE QUINQUENNIAL? / CHARGES AGAINST GOVERNMENT. In the opinion of Mr P. J. O'Regan. & former Liberal member of Parliament, ana now a prominent lawyer in Wellington, the Reform Government has in view tbe making of a five years term for Parliament. It nis its intention to ‘‘dig in," to use a military expression. Mr f)'Regan (reports the Lyttelton Times) charges the Government with being involved in a tacit conspiracy with certain powerful political forces for the destruction of triennial Parliaments and the substitution of quinquennial. A further charge is that the Tories are those "who had applied themselves to the ignoble work of destroying the Liberal principles which had been realised In this country.” The destruction he mentioned was not to be done directly, nor for the reason that triennial Parliaments were undesirable, but was being done under the specious pretence of licensing reform. Quoting a few omens, Mr O’Regan said that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs (the lion. R. F. Bollard) had be"- asked at political meetings if they favoured a longer period between licensing polls, and In each case the reply had been the same: “I am in favour of quinquennial Parliaments, and that would automatically a longer interval between licensing polls," saM he, and a great majority of the people of the Dominion would resent very strongly the attempt to carry out a reactionary onslaught against popular liberty under the guise of licensing leform. ” I .would warn my fellow-citizen* that unless they assert themselves, the present Government will use the majority it has snatched by a false electoral system to dig Itself in for five years, in other words, to restore quinquennial Parliaments,” said Mr O'Regan. THE TRADE'S REPLY. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. The subject matter of Mr O'Regan's statements w.as referred to Mr A. Paape yesterday morning, and he has replied as follows: "I have a reputation for playing fairly. If not prepared to speak on the subject I wonld say so. But lam prepared to make you an answer, and it is this: That I am in close touch as a member of the executive with the New Zealand Licensed Victuallers' Association, and am also on the National Council, and I say unreservedly that I da not know of any such arrangement. If there was any arrangement of the sort I should certainly know of it, and I give T Oll word that Ido not know. The matter has not even been discussed. The position lies entirely in the hands of the members of Parliament, and our Dunedin members have definitely committed themselves to oppose any extension of the licensing tenn. Speaking generally it is admitted that it would be an advantage to everybody to have longer Parliaments, but If such a reform Is mooted it is news to me, and certainly has nothing to do with the licensing question. My friend, Mr O'Regan, is guessing.” i