EARLY CLOSING OF BARS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14340, 3 July 1917, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING OF BARS.

(Per Press Assoclatl >n.l WELLINGTON, last night. A deputation representing .the Dominion National Convention of ithe New Zealand Alliance, interviewed the Prime Minister this evening to j'epeat the request that during the war hotel bars should be closed from 6 p.m. ,to 8 a.m. The deputation was introduced by Mr Poole, M'P. The Rev. R. -S. Gray was the principal speaker. He said the petitions would be presented to the House signed by upwards of 120,000 people. . • Mr Ma^sey, m reply, acknowledged the moderate language which' the representation had made. He could not say definitely that no poll would be taken this year. It seemed probable there would be no election this year. If a general election became necessary a poll would be taken m the usual way. Their lequcst for a special poll required a good deal of consideration, and there was a good deal to be said on both sides^ He could only assure the deputation that whatever was said to the contrary the average member of Parliament and the average member of ithe Ministry wa& just as anxious to promote the sobriety of the population as the average member of the public. In case there mijrht be any misunderstanding" about the soldiers, he said he had seen a great deal, .of our soldiers m England during the last few 'months, and. he could testify to their sobriety and good conduct. They were not all plaster saints, but he could say tha.t m all that time, when he had met thousands of them, he never saw a New Zealand soldier inebriated. He never saw one m the slightest degree affected by liquor m all that time. The Chief of Police m London had told , him that none of the Empire soldiers gave the police so little trouble or behaved so well as the New-jZealand soldiers.- This was something for which we all had reason to be proud. In regard to. the request for early closing- legislation, he could say the Government was not going to shirk, .the question. Cabinet had not considered it m any way yet. It must be a policy matter. No Minister had any right to commit the Government to any course of action until <^abinet had dealt with jfcl Cabinet would have an oppori tunity of dealing --with the question, . and until that had been done he coiu/l say frothing further. It would be for Parliameiit. to deal with the question when the Bill came down, ' and any membei* could move any amendment he pleased. In reply to a question, Mr J»£asesy said the Bill could not come down at once, but' would come down m due •course, and it would not be delayed until the dying hours of the session. He would not commi,t the Government to any measure providing for a referendum. This would 1 be a matter for consideration. His, experience had been that the , referendum was not satisfactory. He di^not refer to the local optiqn poll. ThaA would stand. His opinion, however.'"was that the elected representatives of the people should carry the responsibility.

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