HOTELS IN WAR-TIME.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14153, 2 August 1916, Page 2

HOTELS IN WAR-TIME.

THE BIG BATTLE OVER, After hanging fire for a fortnight, the War Regulations Bill reached its vital stage in Committee, and an all-nitrlit sitting en:-.bled all, the speculations and manoeuvres ■of .seven weeks of lobbying to be put to the only test which matters—the ' division. 'Seven weeks were spent in hard lobbying, the early-closing advocates starting with optimism and a determination to push the six o'clock issue to the- .bitter end. Severe disappointment awaited them lor not a single inch of advantage was gained by the Temperance party^" other than the two important reforms placed in the measure by the Government anti-shouting and the control of liquor sales to women. It caii -well bo imagined that events have been much more interesting in the lobby than in the House during the past few weeks. Conference hsa.s succeeded cenferenca, ii; 'Connection with liquor issues. Prohibition enthusiasts commenced the series. They wished to demonstrate to the Government that such a- big ibodv of opinion in Parliament favoured early closing, that a clause should go into the Government's Bill. But the National Cabinet had firmly made up its mind, and behind ell was the assurance that the Prohibition party would be well satisfied if it could carry anti-shouting. We heard rome differences of opinion between^ Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Isit-t upon this point when the debete came /on in Parliament. The Ohristchurch member maintains that he gave no undertaking, bnt it is clear that the National Cabinet was- thoroughly satisfied as to the reliability of Sir' Joseph Ward's impression. There '.s no doubt as to Mr Isitt's commanding position in. the Temperance movement, and if more -eorroboratiou is . needed for the yiew taken by the Finance Minister it is to be ionn'd in .the attitude of Mr Isit-t in negotiating with those opposed to_ early-closing. -It is actually ;i grievance of his own supporters that 'at. the gatherings he was "too much inclined to compromise. "While eaj-jy-elosing advocates' wero seeking, negotiations, the trade interests were content to "le.'ivo well alone." They affected to regard a-nti-shouting as a farce, not likely to prejudice business, while earhclosing, they correctly surmised,"was. to be decided 'by division, not by private arrangement." Confident assurances v ere to be obtained all through that eight o'clock closing was "dead," 'hut the trade lobbyists, (and they like the Prohibitionists were brisk ;md busy tor many-weeks) seemed to he uncertain about the 9 p.m. closing proposal. They-thought it might be carried, and it would have actually been a tie had Captain Hine, member for Stratford, managed to get :away from military duties at Featherston. His eon.rado in arms. Captain Coates, took part in th* divisions. As a last resort, the referendum isstie was raised.. Prior-'to its

(appearance, tho House had been con- , tt™...tP . 'tr y out" one i>.mio after the [other with the minimum of talk: It was 3 o clock in the morning when Mr .Anderson produced his clause with a few introductory phrases. Three members sprang up 'when the mover sat down. "Oh, vote!" shouted colleagues all round, but they strongly resented, having to vote like- automatons, and the clause was talked on for r.earlv an hour mostly on tho lines of explanations from men who stand by the principle of the referendum, tut were not prepared to vote for Vhat was admitted to be only the shadow of a clause, intended, like a £1 reduction in an appropriation, simply as an indication to the Government. The House polled almost full strength on every one of those critical divisions. The actual votes east totalled 71. Three member* are absent wjth the Parliamentary delegation m England, two are at the iront one «as in camp, and Mr Escott, a stalwart temperance supporter, was Hvn ¥ S deatb-b«l- There were only frno absentees unaccounted for.