PARLIAMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 174, 28 August 1914, Page 9

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. [Abridged Press Association Report.] WELLINGTON, August 27. The Council met at 2..'J0 p.m. The Public Bodies Leases Bill was read a first time. The Hon. F. H. D. Bell moved the second reading of the Kiver Boards Act Amendment Bill.

The motion was agreed to and the third reading set down for Tuesday.

LICENSING.

The Hon. F. H ; . D. Bell moved the second reading of the Licensing Bill. He stated his intention of moving several amendments in committee, dealing with the issue of wine licenses,, regulating the importation of liquor into nolicense areas and also machinery provisions for doing away with the duplication of returning officers. . The Hon. C. Louisson generally approved of the amendments,, but thought it was unreasonable to require that every person purchasing, liquor should be twenty-one years of age. The Hon. G. Jones approved of the proposal to deal with the ".beer kegging" in no-license areas, but he strongly objected to the issue of wine licenses. The maximum of 20 per cent, of alcoholic strength was much too high. He also hoped that the 55 per cent, majority clause would be put back in the Bill by the Council. 1 The Hon. J. Barr supported the proposal to prevent the sale of liquor to persons under the age of twenty-one years. He also held that no person under, twenty-one years should be employed upon licensed premises. He urged the abolition of all barmaids by June,' 39,16. The Hon. W. Beehaii urged that nothing should be doiifi to. interfere with the wine-making industry.

The Hon. i ' ;. f*t\l said lie was prepared to consider the strength percentage of wines. He-personally approved of the 55 per cent, majority but lie hoped in the present s.tate of politics the Council would not send the Bill back to another place. He was prepared to consider the question of employing persons under twenty-one upon licensed premises, but he. could not agree to the abolition of barmaids bv June, 1916.

The second reading was then carried. - FIRE BRIGADE. The Council went into committee upon the Fire Brigades Bill. It was reported with unimportant amendments, read a third time , and passed. HUTT PARK. The Hutt Park Amendment Bill was re'afl a second time. The Council rose at 4.10 p.m. ELECTORAL ROLLS. NEW SYSTEM OF COMPILATION. fFrom our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 27. "There is a general feeling throughout the country," said Sir Joseph Ward in the House this evening, "that the new system of classifying the electoral rolls is totally inadequate to ensure every person who is entitled to vote being enrolled." Sir Joseph was referring to a telegram he had received from Mr W. D. S. Macdonald (Bay of Plenty), stating that the electors" of Gteborne could not find out whether they were on the roll or not because there were no rolls available. lie went on to say that lie did not see how the work was going to be done in the country districts owing to the large amount ot ground to be covered bv the mounted constables. Personally, if he Avere in charge, he would-pass-a Bill of one clause, stating that any person over 21 years who produced a birth certificate, residence, and naturalisation papers could vote. Mr J. B. .Mine: Why didn't you do it? Sir Joseph Ward: Oh, that's the same o?d wheeze. The Hon. J'\ M. B. Fisher said that he had received information from Gis!>orne that there were "approximately allO copies of the roll in the hands of the Registrar of Electors there. It would be absurdly foolish for the Department to have complete now rolls prepared at this date when the elections were so far off. .This was especially so as the elections might possibly be postponed- until next year.