EARLY CLOSING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 762, 20 July 1916, Page 9

EARLY CLOSING.

PROHIBITIONISTS AGITATE. LICENSED VICTUALLERS OBJECT. Press Association WELLINGTON, July 19. The Amalgamated Licensed Victuallers' Association to-day passed the following resolutions:— (1) That the agitation directed against the licensed trade „by the Prohibitionists is unpatriotic, unreasonable, and unwarrantable; (a)! unpatriotic because it is tending to create class prejudice and embitter feeling among different sections of: the community at a time when all! should be in accord to overthrow i the road hogs of Europe; (b) un-! reasonable in that it would violate the pledge or "scrap of paper" given j by the people at the ballot-box in ! 1914, when, by an overwhelming j majority, the electors declared against any inference with the j

licensing system until at least 1917; (c) and unwarrantable in that any interference with the licensing sys- | tem now would be in direct opposition to the voice and mandate of the people, and a violation of the pledge given by the people at the last elec-. tions to the Trade, (2) That, relying upon the declared will of the people, the members of the Trade have entered into rebuilding and various other contracts, and any alteration in the hours of licensing now would not only be contrary to the people's pledge to the Trade, but would involve the Trade in incalculable loss. (3 That, in view of the evidence of the Defence Minister himself and his responsible advisers, Colonels Potter and Adams, there is absolutely no military necessity for the agitation for any alteration in the present licensing law, either by proclamation or otherwise. VIEWS OF N.Z. ALLIANCE. WELLINGTON, July 19. The New Zealand Alliance to-day

; f adopted the following resolutions:— ' (1) That we enter an emphatic • | protest against the action of the Bay of Plenty Licensing Committee in s. granting the transfer of a license ■ from Ohiwa, near Opotiki, to Manu- .; tahi, in the Tuparoa District, bej tween East Cape and Gisborne, and believing the action is in contraven- : tion of the licensing law, we request i' the Minister of Justice to have the ! matter enquired into, and, if found : to be illegal, to have the said license ! quashed, and, if it be necessary. : then to have legislation passed this ! session which will prevent further I abuses in this way. (2) That we tender our hearty I congratulation to Colonel Logan, : 1 Administrator of Samoa, for his sucI cessful efforts in abolishing the I "wet canteen" when he found that : it worked for the injury of soldiers who are there for the defence of the Empire. All men of penius are sai<l to have eyes clear, "slow-moving, and bright. Thif< is the eye which indicates mental ability of some kind, it does not matter what.