The New Licensing Bill.

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8083, 29 August 1894, Page 4

The New Licensing Bill.

Dunedin, August 37. ;

I At a meeting of the Executive of ihe Grand j Lodge of Gcod Templara, for the Colony, to consider the new Licensing Bill, it was. debided to strongly objeot to the new constitution of licensing commi tees, among tbe disadvantages being that nearly every public office, would be contested on the lilies of trade versus temperance. The discontinuance of the cumulative vote is declared a most illogical vote. Another evil is the form of taking tbe vote. The power given the local bodies to ioorease the rate in event of tbe revenue suffering plaoeßthe effort at reform ati serious disadvantage. All fees should go to the Publio Account, and all expenses paid therefrom. , The abolition of the Bailway refreshment, N.Z. wine,, ani bottle lioenset was cordially approved of; also simultaneous, reduction from one half 'to one fourth, the< cost being charged to publio acooqnt, and the arrangement for the cheek of votes by the Colonial Secretary, and the declaration of a : national prohibition if there ia a three-fifth; majority. : Chbistchoech, August 27. At a meeting of representatives of tbelooalj prohibition leagues to consider the Licensing Bill now before Parliament, the following resol uti ns were carried : That the proposal to abolish elective committees was retrogressive*, that tbe clause rendering the supply of liquor to N&tives illegal should apply to the whole Colony, and not to the Native districts alone ; That tbe power to grant club licenses should not be vested in the Colonial Secretary; That licenses should not be issued to women ; That canvassing for orders for liquor in districts where Prohibition has been carried should be made a penal offence ; That no paoket licenses should be issued to vessels tradiog exclusively in the Colony; That a uniform hour of closing should be adopted for the whole Colony ; That the popular determination as to tbe issue of lioenses should not be limited to publicans' lioenses; That the vote .on lioensing questions should not be taken on any general election ; That a local option poll should be taken every three years on fixed dates ; That a poll on the distinct issue of Colonial Prohibition should be taken simul- 1 taneously with, but separately. from, the local option poll ; That the only issue to be submitted to voters should be "license" or " no license " ; That the majority of votes recorded ought to rule in licensing as in other matters ; That if more than two issues of "license" or " no license " should be submitted to vote j the issue for whioh the largest number of J votes were cast ehould be oarried ; That in so far as the olauses relating to the regulation of the traffic vary from former legislation they bear .evidence of being chiefly drafted with a view to the consolidation of the power of tbe liquor trade and with a tendenoy to the establishment of lioenses in perpetuity.