MR. PEARCE AND THE LICENSING BILL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20053, 11 April 1914, Page 7

MR. PEARCE AND THE LICENSING BILL.

To tho Editor

Sir, —Judging by the " Chronicle" report of Mr. Pearce's meeting at Aramoho last Monday evening, licensing legislation received a rather shoddy handling by the speaker. Ho is reported to have said: "In the proposed amendments was a clause reducing the majroity required to carry national prohibition, to 55 per cent. . .As most of them knew, in 1909 ho was one of the 13 in the House who voted for that amendment.'' Perhaps it will interest Mr. Pearce to know that the Bill of 1909 that was in charge of the lateMr. Laurenson, was a Bill that- proposed to substitute the bare majority; not the 55 per cent, as insinuated by him. H« further exhibited his knowledge (?) of licensing law when he endeavoured to enlighten his hearers regarding liquor under Prohibition. "If,"' say.; Mr. Pearce, "after Prohibition became law a man was found with a bott'e of beer in his house, it meant three months gaol on a second conviction." Surely Mr. Pearce knows better than that] For does not the Act distinctly state "that anyone having liquor in their possession, for purposes of sale, etc.'7 By the omission of those four words quite a different inference would be drawn by the Aramoho electors. There is quite a distinction between having something in one's possession, and having the same thing for "purposes of sale."

Thanking you for inserting tlio above, I am, eto.,

LEO. WILSON