“SHOULD BE STRANGLED"

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1927, Page 9

“SHOULD BE STRANGLED"

VIEWS OF THE LICENSING BILL. (By Wire —Special to News.) Wellington, Last Night. The member for Auckland East, Mr. J. A. Lee, was not at all optimistic about the chances of the Licensing Amendment Bill when speaking on the short title in the House to-night, and he made the suggestion that the earliest opportunity should be taken of killing it.

“There is going to be considerable difficulty in discussing this matter with any measure of intelligence,”- said Mr. Lee. “There is already a sheaf of amendments with which one could almost paper the walls of Parliament. It would require a professional indexer to index ail the amendments we have. When a Bill is wholly bad, such as the present, the time to kill it is at the earliest possible moment. You should strangle it before it squeals in the hour of its birth, as it were. lam sure the Prime Minister will admit that this Bill is fairly rickety and that it is not likely to survive the criticism it is likely to receive.’* Mr. G. W. Forbes: It is a case of Infantile paralysis. Mr. Lee: This Bill is the queerest mixture; it is not even a shandy gaff which. I am told, is a mixture of beer and lemonade. This is a mixture of beer and water, and I have never heard of anyone asking for that. I have not had much experience of—— Mr. H. Atmore: Water! (Loud laughter.)

Mr. Lee: The only experience I have had was in an estaminet in France. Mr. Wilford: That was where you saw the New Zealand tanks in action. (Loud laughter.)