LICENSING REFORM.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17277, 13 December 1927, Page 9

LICENSING REFORM.

BILL CONSIDERED. PLEDGING OF MEMBERS. THE PRACTICE DEPRECATED

At a meeting of the Dominion Executive, held at Wellington, the Venerable Archdeacon Williams presiding, the following statement was issued for publication :— 1

“That the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association expresses its disappointment at the manner in which licensing legislation has been approached by the Legislature in connection with the Licensing Bill. In the opinion of the association the failure of the Legislature to deal effectively’ and in a statesmanlike way with this question is due to the action of the Prohibition party in extracting from candidates at the last General Election hard and fast pledges, the effect of which has been to completely prevent a large number of members from exercising their judgment for the best interests of the Dominion as a whole. While the association could not agree with all the original provisions of the Bill as introduced, it wishes to place on record its appreciation of the eA’ident desire of the Prime Minister to effect measures of re hi reform, and expresses its admiration of the strong stand taken by the Hon. Mr Coates to save the Dominion from the danger of having prohibition inflicted by a catch-vote on irbare majority.

. “The association notes the reneAved threat of the New Zealand Alliance to make its programme a test question at the next General Election, and trusts that the several political parties avIII adopt the determination that their official candidates will not be permitted to pledge themselves to outside organisations on matters not contained in their OAvn party platforms.. “The Licensing Reform Association repeats the Avarning uttered prior to the .last election that the pledging of members of Parliament to organisations outside Parliament is tantamount to handing oa t ci* the Government, of the Dominion and the framing of its laws to sectional cliques, and that a continuance of this practice, so far as the licensing question is concerned, Avill mean bolting and barring the door against any real reform'. “Though the position is unsatisfactory from the point of view of those who consider corporate control a solution of' the licensing question, it is fortunate that the third issue lias been preserved, if only as a A r ehicle for the expression of a desire for reform on rational lines.

“The Licensing Reform Association wiU lake an opportunity early in the neAV year of calling a conference of its members for the purpose of deciding upon a united course of action with a vieAV to preventing a repetition of the recent legislative fiasco for AA’hich tiie prohibition party*’s political activities are alone responsible.”