LICENSING LAWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3097, 23 July 1913, Page 36

LICENSING LAWS.

THE MA.IUIHTY QUESTION. DEPUTATION FROM THE NEW L£ALA NL) A LjulA-nC W. WELLINGTON, July 17 % A large deputation, representing tne New Zealand A.nance, anu including lo members oi Parliament, wailed on the prime Minister to-day. Or Newman, ALP., said the deputation came to ask lor the removal of the present preposterous handicap at the licensing po.i. iLey warned a square deal. Tne Rev. 11. Comrio, president of the Alliance, submitted that tne law wiih_ regard to barmaids was being lloutcd. iue intention of the Leg slature was “ one license, one bar,” but tins was being defeated. The deputation asked that Hotels should bo treated as other business places in the matter oi observing a weekly iialthoiiday. The No-license party aiso strongly of opinion that there should not be a reduction of the duty on Ausua.iau •wines. He expressed tiie hope that the fruits oi the parly's labour would bo safeguarded. They knew, lie said, that the will ot the electors had not be’en always given effect to. Air Massey: What arc you referring fo.' Mr Contne said that he wouid gi'e the Prime -Minister certain information privately. The throe-filths majority was looked upon as unjust and uuiair. it was a stone wall m the way of retorni. Ho strongly urged that what the deputation asked was in the best interests of tne community. The Rev. Air Dawson quoted figures showing the increased voting against the “Trade.” It was not a party question. The issue ivas one of humanity. “We feci, ho said, “ that there must, be a change, or else we must consider the next Parliament as we have never considered rt before.” In reply to the deputation, Air Massey stated that he was not going to enter into an argument either for or against the threefifths majority. Ho had received two deputations in Auckland on tiie subject. One from tiie Presbyterian bodies there asked for a reduction of the majority from threefifths to eleven-twentieths. The other asked for the bare majority, but said that they would be satisfied to accept a compromise if it could be got. The matter had to i e considered from a financial as well as a social point of view. The carrying of prohibition would do away with revenue amounting to something like £900,000. A clause would be introduced this session to amend the law relating to the registration of barmaids with a view to carrying out the intentions of the Legislature. The duty on Australian wine was 5s a gallon, and on wine from Africa 2s. This was unfair to'’ Australia, and it was proposed that the anomaly should be removed. It wouid be a matter for consideration when the Bill dealing with the Customs duties was brought down. With respect to the allegations regarding sly-grog, the Prime Alinister said that the Government believed in the strict administration of the law, and he suggested .that the members of the deputation should, when they came across cases where administration was laekng, supply the Government wit’n details. Air Massey referred to the request of the depuration with regard to the licensing poll. It was not impossible that there would bo a dissolution, but it was not likely that the Government would lend itself to nothing else hut tiie securing of the people’s interests in tins connection. Coming to the chief request of the deputation, ho said they must understand that iho pressure was not altogether from tiie prohibition side. They would lie surprised at the amount of pressure brought to hear the other way on the Government from districts where prohibition was in force. Tiie time wouid come when the majority must be reduced. He spoke rather for himself. Ho had never taken up with extremists of either side, neither with tiie prohibitionists nor with the Liquor party, and ho thought that what might lie said of him might bo srrd of tiie average Minister. They intended to do the best they could. It had been said that the Government was on the side of the trade, but they had only to look at Wellington to see the attitude of the organ of the brewers towards the Reform Government. Air Massey, in referring to the probability of introducing a Bill this se.-sicn. su'd that tiie Government would have to bring down its policy measures first. These included such important bills as Council Reform. Conciliation and Arbitration, and others. They had a very heavy programme in front of them, and tiie sess : on promised to be a long one, but the probability was that tin* House would he given an opportunity of dealing with the liquor traffic before the end of the session.