THE LIQUOR BILL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 43, Issue 133045, 13 September 1917, Page 6

THE LIQUOR BILL.

INTRODUCED INTO HOUSE.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WKLLIMJTON, Wednesday

In tho .House of Representatives thisifternoon, the Prime Minister moved lor leave to J titr,..iu<-o the Sale of Li quor Restriction J , .i11. Mr R. A. Wright asked that the l.Yeanier give the I louse some information regarding the Hill. JNlr h. M . Jsirt sai.l that if all ht Juid hoard was true, it was evi<lcut that ■iigain t J] i>. National. Cabinet was not going U) give effect- to the prayer of the jH'ople to Tcstri.-t the sale of liquor between the hours of *> l>. in. and !» a.iv He hoped thai t!'•.■>. government \vt»ubi not onct> more fail to realise the aspir ;itions oi' the people.

Mr J. Payne eombatted "Mr lsitt "s arguments, eonteniling that the liquor tralfic. did not injuriously affect tho poorer classes, m>r would it affect the --commerrial war which would follow Ho , -world war. .Ww Z'-alaii'i had done all that was expected of it. with the Jiquor -trailic. Therefore, there was no n* 1o interfere with it.

Dr Tluo-ker adv.n-ated State control as the best means of removing the obiections to the liquor tratlic. Mr Harris declared that >0 per ivnt «f the people, deumudeil six o'clock closing. He a]>|>ealed to the Government to u"ivo im-mbors a tree hand to (ieal with the Hill u> they thought tit . If <5 o'clock closinir was not agreed to, then the question should be referred to a referendum.

The Hon. A. T. Ngnta did not agree -with the arifiuiieut that because the people in :ii* 1 -J- declared against natioual prohiition there should not be an alteration in the law. This was not a Bill in favour of national prohibition, but mereJv a, .shortening of the hours. He had never seen any good in drink, "but he had seen a, great deal of harm, juid ho could say that in the n'l'unu work among the Maori- drink is the .greatest handicap. Mr P. C. Webb asked tho Premier to say whether in the event of the Hill Wing carried, he propose'! to introduce ;i. Bill adjusting the rents of hotels. Messrs Pooln and Mr-Combs discussed tho Bill from a Labour point of view, urging tho curtailment of hours. The Eight Hon. W. fc\ Massey said 3io did not propose- to make a. second reading speech. l>;it merely to explain tho provision.-; of the Bill. As to the. Jiours, they were n'dueod from 6 a.m. to 0 a.m.", and from .10 p.m. to N p.m.. or a'reduction of live hours. Chartered Clubs would be {"laced on. the same footing ;<s licensed houses. Bellamy's, also, would have to close at tho'same hours a< the dubs. JIo did not propose to make the Bill a party question, but every member would have v free hand to vote as he pleased. There was no proposal in the Bill to taki- a referendum on the question of reducing the hours. Cabinet had not considered tho question of adjusting the rents of hotels in the event of n reduction of hours being carried, but he would put it. to his colleagues before the Bill went into Committee. There was , no proposal to rep"at the anti-shouting law. and the Bill comes into force on November Ist. The debate on the second reading will take place oil Tuesday nijrht. The Bill was introduced and read tho first time.