PROHIBITION CONVENTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 12

PROHIBITION CONVENTION.

Wellington, June 25. The Prohibition Convention resolved—" That* unleas the provision requiring half the eleotors to vote at the licensing^ poll ia districts where thero is no parliamentary contest be repealed the council reoommends that no seats be unoontested; that, independent of party politics, no candidate for the forthcoming parliamentary elections will be satisfactory to the Prohibition party who is not a sincere supporter of the platform ; that the Government ba urged to appoint a Royal commission of inquiry into the police administration and of inspection of breweries." They also urge the substitution of an elective for a party Executive. The convention also carried a large number of amendments it considered necessary, to the licensing laws. A very large deputation from the Prohibition Convention waited on the Premier thia evening to lay bofbre him certain complaints against the police force of the colony. Several speakers spoke of the l»x administration of the licensing law, and the convention considered the beat means of dealing with the matter would be by a Royal commission. The Premier, in reply, said that so fay as instructions from the Government wera concerned the alleged laxity of the police force rested solely with the officers and men in the various places. Dereliotion of doty on the part; of policemen was severely dealt with. Because of few cases of misconduct on the parb of members of the police force ib was not possible for him to say that the police were nob carrying out their duties and allowed a cerb&ia class of tradesmen to violate the law. He oould nob and did no!: admit that that was corroob. When he was Minister for Defence he encoucaged constables to be zealous in seeing that the licensing law was complied with. He hoped the Legislature would pub olubs under police control. He would t*ke good o»re that men who showed laxity in the administration of the licensing law would be shifted. It was the desire of himself and the Government to see th»t there was complete compliance with the law. He would make the matter a Cabinet question, and the statements made by the deputation would be submitted bo the Commissioner of Police for his. reporb. He was in favour of an amendment of tha licencing law, and he was prepared to stand by it, as he believed it w»s better to have this question settled definitely for all time. If the bill was passed by the Home in tbe same form as last year he believed ib would have a fair chance oE psssiDg the Legislative Coucoil. At the prohibition^ meeting ab the Rink, on the Rev. Mr-Isitt-'s motion, it was agreed- that thero can be nofina'ifcy to our demands upon Parliament until the people have conferred upon them' the power to oomplebery suppress the liquor traffic locally aud colonially by a majority. June 26. The Prohibition Convention decided to ask the Otaki Licensing Committee to refute licenses to certain hotels in the district on the ground of alleged mismanagement. Ib was decided to put the following qneibions to candidates at next election :— '• Would you support; legislation giving power ,to control or suppress the liquor traffic, including tbe supply in olubs, by a majority of votes cast at the polls ? " " Would you support legislation to give the people, by the votes of the majority at the polls, power to prohibit the manufacture, the importing, and the sale of intoxicating liquor throughout the colony ? " The council endorsed the opinion expressed throughout the colony by their suppottera that the righb polioy of temperance rotors at tha local polls is to strike out the top line only on the voting papers. Thefcon vent ion is now closed.