SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13512, 19 June 1917, Page 4

SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING

MR YOUNG APPROACHED, PRESENTATION OF A PETITION. jp. FAVOURABLE REPLY. A public meeting, convened and preside.l oyer by his Worship the Mayor M (Mr J. E. Wilkinson), was held ir. the ' Town Hall, Cambridge, on MosaV*' afternoon for the purpose of presenting a petition to Mr J. A. Young, M.P., for t!:e \S aikato electorate, praying the Government to take steps this session to "confine the sale of liquor in bars between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.,. during the period of the war, and for six months after. The meeting was well attended. The Mayor (Mr E. J. Wilkinson) was received with applause, and stated he had called the meeting at the request of a large and influential committee of the leading business men and settlers of Cambridge and district. He said only in that day's paper was a cablegram stating that a measure was being presented in the United States House of Representatives to prohibit the manufacture of beer and whiskey. In America they did not do things by halveß, but went to the very root and fountain head of the matter, and in the British House of Commons a bill was being brought in M for the State to take over the whole of r the liquor trade, either during or after the war, and it was most encouraging to note that the Members of Parliament were in favour of the % measure.

Not a Prohibition Move. Mr Veale, in presenting the petition, said that this was not a prohibition party movement (although the W.C.T.U. had rendered a great deal of he'p in obtaining signatures, etc.), but was a national movement for the more efficient and economic conduct of the war. He said the petition needed no supporting speech from him as all the support it needed was furnished: (1) By that great nation, Russia, with her teeming millions, which, at the very coir.mence.r.ent of the war decided that alcoholic liquor should not be manufactured, but should be banished from the country; (2) by our own good who decided that for himself and the Royal household alcoholic liquor should be banished du ing the war; (3) by the greatest of all known military organisers the world ever had, or in all probability ever would have, the late Earl Kitchener, who said that liquor should be abolished from every soldiers' canteen. (Hear,hear.) He (Mr Veale) said he would not say any more, except in handing Mr Young the petition he would ask him not only to receive it and present it to Parliament, but would urge upon him to use his great influence (and he paid him the compliment of having very g eat influence) with his colleagues, and endeavour to have the matter dealt with in the first week of tne session, as the people wanted immediate action taken in the matter, and refused to accept a referendum. (Applause.) " A Query and an Answer. Mr R. Reynolds, the next speaker, said he did not intend to make a speech, but he would ask Mr Young one question, as follows: ' 'Are you in favour of the prayer of the petition or not?" On Mr Young answering in the affirmative Mr Reynolds said he would 'not worry the member any further as he had, as he had expected, received a straightforward answer. (Applause.)

Ths Petition Supported. Mr F. Pcmlerton, president of the Waikato Winter Show, and representing the Farmers' Union, was the next speaker. He said he was not a prohibitionist but a moderate, and this was not to be taken as a prohibition movement, but it was a movement that every right-thinking man was supporting. (Hear, hear.) He wished it to be qjeanjf" understood that they were not finding fault with the publican, and, personally, he thought the publican was fully entitled to compensation if the prayer of the petition was granted, as they had badly hit by the non-shouting measure, and would be hit more still if this proposal was carried, but still we all had to make sacrifices to help win the war. Personally, he had a lot of respect for the publicans of the Waikato as he knew them.

Mr J. Christie, representing the Y.M.C.A., supported the petition. Mr R. Fisher, chairman of Waipa County Council, and chairman of the Cambridge branch of the Efficiency Board, and local Wounded Soldiers' Fund, also supported the measure.

Mr Young's Reply. Mr J. A. Young, M.P M in reply, said he was entirely in accord with the prayer of the petitioners, and would present it, but he warned the promoters that they must not sit down with a sigh of satisfaction at what had been done, and because he (Mr Young) l had expressed his sympathy with tlie movement, and his intention to use his efforts to push it along. As a matter of fait, if the promoters wished to see the measure carried through they had only just commenced their labours, as the New Zealand Parliament, like all other representative Parliaments, only put through that legislation which was backed by strong public opinion, and they, representing people such as were before h.ni that afternoon, had a responsible duty in this matter, as they were the builders and leaders of public opinion. If they made it plain to the members, and particularly to the Government, that they were determined to have what they asked for, or would put in office politicians who would act in accordance with their v.ishes they could cany the day, but be assured them they w.uld have to fight strong vested interests. He then gave a short amount of the fate of the ea:ly closing movement last session, and threw some interesting light on the working of the Parliamentary mchine. Sjme members who voted against closing an hour earlier in the evening promoted an amendment that the bars be opened an hour later in the morning so that they could i::form their constituents at the next election th.it they had voted in the ''House'' to restrict the hours for the sale of liquor during the war, but were sorry the measure did not get thiough. (Laughter.) Mr Y. ung'noted that out of the 1225 names on the petition only 75 were from adjacent electorates. He recognised that it came from all classes of the community as an honest contribution towards the "win the war" cffoits of the peo;le, and it, the petition, would, therefoie, have his support. (Applause.) Votes of Thanks. Mr E. Veale, in moving n hearty vote of thanks to Mr Young for coming to (amlridge, said he (Mr Young) was one of the hardest working members in the House for the gool of Iris constituents; ho was always ready to listen-'t to and help all who came to h>n.— | Carried by acclamation.

Mr Young moved a vote of thanks to- " the Mayor for presiding.—Carried by acohrnation.

The meeting was a l argP one) and a ]f the sprakers were followed with the deepest interest, and frequently applauded.