HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12652, 4 November 1910, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House met at 2.30

RAILWAY MATTERS.

The Railway Committee reported on the petition of the Engine-drivers', Firemen*.and Cleaners' for official recognition by the Government to the effect that evidence went to show that the A.S.R.S. has -well represented the! interests of the railway .men, but the i committee considered that there was evidence that the breach between the two societies could not be healed. The committee therefore recommended the petition to the favourable consideration of the Government. Mr Pi Wright moved an amendment that the report be referred back to the Committee for reconsideration. It was desirable, he said, that railway employees should be united in one organisation. * Sir J. Ward said it would be advisable to_ refer the matter back to the Committee with the view to seeing whether it J was possible for the two bodies to come to an agreement with a view to working in unity. ' '■ ' . I On the suggestion of Mr Fisher, it was agreed to add to thei. amendment that -the committee should report within seven days. The Amendment was carried. LICENSING AMENDMENT BILL. . Sir Jos. Ward moved the second' reading of the Licensing Amendment Bill. Thei measure drafted last year had. been set aside owing to the disagreement of the parties, but it furnished a useful guide for action. Unless the great parties in the House agreed to sink minor differences and co-operated with a view to getting important licensing legislation carried, , there would be little chance of. the Bill being put through this session. Tlie Bill represented what tho-Crovernment considered- best in the interests of the people; Tlie chief innovation was the provision for a vote on National Prohibition. It was inevitable - that this question would be submitted to the people sooner or later. If the State was to assume the control of the liquor traffic, the logical outcome of nolicense, was prohibition upon the broad principle of democratic government. If thei people desired national prohibition, they should given the opportunity of voting'for it. The financial aspect-of the matter liad to b^ borne in mind in view of.the possibility of , prohibition being carried, and the consequent necessity for the readjustment of taxation. He believed £800.000 of the revenue would be required to be made up in four years in the event of prohibition being carried. He recognised there was much in the Bill which sectional interests might object to, but uinless the Bill was approached in the spirit of compromise, it would be hopeless to expect it to go through in any session of Parliament. Somel important amendments to the Bill would be necessary, and more would be demanded, but he hoped members who considered there was much; good in thei measure would not lose the good for the sake of the minor objections. Doing away with half the poll should commend itself generally. The House rose at 5.30. The House met in the evening. Sir Jos. Ward resumed his speech on tho second reading of the Licensing Bill, the broad principles of which he said were provisions for voting for and against national prohibition, abolition' of bottki licenses and barmaids, prohibiting the sale of liquor to pel-sons under 21, and the abolition of half poll. He was pr-etpared to consddelr whether the issues should be put more clearly later on. He moved the second reading. •

■ Mr Massey•'saVl he had listened carefully to the Prairier's speech, in which vory'littlo had been said in favour of tlie Bill. Sir Jos. Ward had carefully avoided reference to some ofr'the more important provisions of the measure. The bringing down of the Bill at this lato hour of the session must have come as a surprise to most people. He. had come to the conclusion that the Bill was of' the class the Governmelnt was very fond of—a. Bill cunningly drafted and one in which it was'difficult to express an opinion. , The Government was i anxious to make it appear that the Bill was in the interests of each party concerned. The greiat body of the people outside-these parties ought to be considered. The most important principle in the licensing legislation was that peoplo had the right by their votes to control thel liquor traffic irrespective of the■ interests of anyone section. The great body of the, people who might be called "moderates" were not sufficiently considered in the Bill. The' question of majorities on the various issues was the I principal one to be considered in com-! niittee. He recognised "thai the arguments in favour of the bare majority! wc<ro increasing daily, as in every district where no-license was carried, the ! ■''trade" .also demanded a bare majority j in the hope of securing*the restorationof1 licenses. The most important clause , in the. Bill was clausei 3, which pro- i vided that tho vote for national pro- ! hibition would count for local prohibi- \ tion and vice versa. He did not think \ this clause would go beyond the com- I mitteo stage. For himsslf he preferred local option, and intended to abide" by j it. Many people of moderate opinion ' voted 'No-License who would never vote for national prohibition." The Bill was a. now depaj bure, and the House ought not, to be asked' to agr-tte to it in view ; of the fact that the majority of mem- | ber.3 w »ro pledged to abide by the exist- ' ing legislation. Sir Jos. Ward made a ' •mistake in introducing the Licensing Bill tliis Version. He did not object to the second reading v;i liio Bill, which contained some KfKid, and some objectionable principles. \ The latter might be weeded out in com- ' mittoe. • ! Sir Jos. Ward, replying, claimed that lie had dealt with every proposal contained in the Bill.. When the Bill was in the committee stage, he was prepared to amend it so as to allow the Moderate Party to cast its vote otherwise than for national prohibition. He would not ask any member to break his pledges on tho liquor problem. There

T EI, -JbJG R APHIC

was nothing to gain by postponing the licensing legislation. He was of opinion that State control would not become a liva issue in the Dominion for j many years to come. I The Bill was read the second time on; i the voices, and set down for commit-* j tee to-morrow, j PUBLIC! REVENUES BILL. The second reading of the Public , Revenues Bill was moved by Sir Jos. ; Ward, who said that its object was to j provide for the post-audit system in j connection with. public accounts In I place of the pre-audit system previously in vogue. The post-audit ays-" tern was generally in operation in other Dominions of the Empire. He explained otheir provisions of the Bill, to wliich' ■ j no anticipated no objection, i 7} le. I?i11 was read a second! time | Replying to members. Sir J. G. Ward said the Licensing Bill, Gaming Bill, <ma Land Bil would not comet before the House till Tuesday. _ On the suggestion of Mr Masse-y, the House adjourned at 10.50.