THE LIQUOR QUESTION AND THE NATIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 18

THE LIQUOR QUESTION AND THE NATIVES.

AUCKLAND, June 1. I Amongst the deputations which waited on the Premier this forenoon was one representing the Prohibition party in. Auckland, the object being to influence the Premier in the direction of refusing a license for a publichouse in Kaihu Valley district, Northern Wairoa. The deputation consisted of the Revs. W. Gittos and W. J. Williams, Pastor G. T. Bull, Messrs J. E. Taylor, T. Caughey, S. K. Brown, and R. French. The Rev. W. J. Williams i said the principal question the .deputation ■wished to bring under the notice of the Premier was that of the application which j had. been made for a liquor 'license at ■ Kaihu. There were arguments of con- ] siderable strength against tho granting of j a license in that district. A petition had I been sent by Natives at Kaihu asking to have the district proclaimed as a district in which no liquor could be sold. They did not wish a hotel there, but it appeared now that this hotel was to be built on Native land. Influence had since been brought to bear on the Natives, who had withdrawn the petition asking for the proclamation of Kaihu as a prohibited district. The deputation now understood the Government had given the police instruc- ■ lions to oppose the petition for a license. The Premier: I beg your pardon. I have not given such instructions to the police. However, I believe the Justice department have taken, some action. The police are taking steps, but the Government have not. Mr Williams said what the deputation wanted was to have the district proclaimed as a Native licensing district under section 25 of the act so that a Native assessor would sit with the licensing bench, and his assent would be necessary before a license could be granted, and so that the sale of liquor to Natives could be prohibited in the district. The Rev. W. Gittos said that paternal protection was needed iv this direction in the best interests of the Natives in the district. The license for the hotel was to be transferred from an-_^ other part of the country. The Premier said he had received -a telegram from Mr Hone Heke, M.H.R., on the subject, and the Justice department had advised him that the proposed hotei was to be erected on land held by Europeans. Mr Williams said according to his latest information it had been decided to build the hotel on Native land. The Premier said that if thai were so it would alter the aspect of the case. However, he would inquire into it and get the latest information." The deputation knew his views on the question of liquor amongst the Natives. He considered it was inimical to them as a race,

and it was not to the merit of the colony to have liquor amongst them. His legislation had been in the direction of slopping the harm done by liquor amongst them, and he instanced the fact of the Government having stopped the sale of liquor to Maori women. But he did not think the law was intended to set apart special areas in various places in the way in which the deputation would like it done. The Government would not be a party to interference with the administration of the Licensing Act. Such, a thing would be reprehensible, and the Government had not done it>. The Prohibition party had made complaints that the Government had done so in the past, and yet now they came and asked him to interfere. There would be nd interference with the police on the part of the Government to, x say, object to or support an application. The police were the best judges of a case themselves. The Government never had interfered. Regarding the proclamation of a district, if tho hotel was on land owned by a European the Government could not interfere. In these transfers of licenses, a way had been discovered of evading the law, but that happened with many laws. They must leave the administration of that law to the licensing bench, and as Native Minister he would do his utmost to protect the Native race from what he believed to be inimical to their interests. Pastor G. T. Bull wished to bring under the notice of the Premier the necessity for bringing local option Tinder the Corrupt Practices Act. „ They ateo wanted legal provisions- made for scrutineers in connection with the local option poll. They would, in addition, like uniform instructions issued to returning officers regarding the poll. The Premier returned a favourable reply to the first request. He said he would take care to appoint returning officers who were- competent and who could construe the act properly. He wished also to see the local option poll carried out properly, so that a bona fide vote of the people could be taken, and he wished to see the poll carried out fairly and properly. In answer to other questions, the Premier said he thought registrars of electors should be liable to a penalty if the electoral rolls' were not properly checked, and if people who voted were improperly struck off. The Government had given instructions to the registrars of electors to send and get people placed on the rolls. That was construed into an act of coi'ruption, but he was going to get all the people of the colony put on the rolls no matter what their political views were. There ought to be penalties imposed for careless and incompetent making lip of the rolls.