H—3B

14. That where a conviction for serious breaches of the Licensing Act is obtained the Magistrate should be given power to declare the person convicted unfit to hold a publican's license. 15. That section 294 of the Licencing Act, 1908, should be amended by omitting the words " of the electors of the district " after the words " result of a poll." 16. That provision should be made for the holding of Licensing Committee meetings in any public building which is centrally situated, in order to avoid the inconvenience which is now caused by holding these meetings of necessity in the Courthouse, whether the Courthouse is conveniently situated or not. 17. That section 138 of the Licensing Act, 1908, be amended by inserting, after the words " six ■calendar months," the words " and that the Committee to have power to grant a further extension not exceeding six calendar months if the Committee deems it necessary." 18. That when licensed premises are situated adjacent to a main road, and that by reason of alterations the mam traffic which passed such licensed premises is diverted, the Licensing Committee should have power to allow the license to be granted in respect of premises situated adjacent to the road to which the traffic has been diverted at-the nearest position which the Committee deems advisable. 19. That no man should act as barman without a license granted by the Licensing Committee, «or by the police, to such persons as may be thought fit. That all convictions against a barman should be endorsed on his license; that his license should be cancelled after three endorsements. That all barmaids be required to make a statutory declaration before a Magistrate that they are entitled to hold a license under the existing provisions of the law. 20. That Licensing Committees should have power to determine the number of public and private bars in any hotel. That it should be illegal to serve any woman with intoxicating liquor in a bar to which the public have access, or any room opening on to such bar. 21. That electoral enrolment be compulsory. That rolls be prepared and printed in polling-booth or sub-district areas. 22. That if national prohibition be carried it be made clear that there is no restriction on the making of liquor containing not more than 3 per cent, of alcohol for home consumption. 23. That section 46 of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, be so amended as to provide for a further poll at stated intervals to enable the Natives in such districts as have carried a poll under this section to review the position. 201. In 1922 Parliament carried out the last recommendation of tlie Committees' report by passing the Horouta District Licensing Poll Act, 1922, which enabled the Maoris in the Horouta district to vote whether the prohibition of the supply of liquor to them in that district which had been carried in 1911 should be continued. The poll was taken in December, 1922, and it waa decided by 1,272 votes to 221 that liquor should be supplied to the Natives in the district (para. 106, supra). 202. In December, 1922, at the national poll the vote for continuance was 282,669, or 45-65 per cent, of the total votes, for State purchase and control 35,727, or 5-76 per cent., and for prohibition 300,791, or 48-57 per cent. CHAPTER 11.—1923-1939—PROPOSED REFORMS: AMALGAMATION OF BREWERIES ; SUBSEQUENT COMPETITION BETWEEN AMALGAMATED BREWERY COMPANY AND OTHER BREWERY COMPANIES ; LICENSING POLLS, ETC. 203. Following upon the national poll of 1922, certain clergymen of the Church of England made certain proposals for the reform of the trade by a system of corporate control. They also made certain other proposals for immediate legislation to provide better control of the existing system of private ownership. These proposals were supported by prominent representatives of the trade. They stated in a pamphlet which they issued (Exhibit C. 25) that the deciding factor at the last poll was the vote cast for the third issue of State purchase and control. They asserted that this issue did not serve adequately to express the opinion of the growing body in favour of sweeping licensing reform. They therefore asked for the substitution of corporate control in place of the third issue of State purchase and control. 204. Under this scheme for corporate control a Corporation was to be formed with a capital in A and B shares, 20 per cent, being A shares and 80 per cent. B shares. All owners of hotel premises and lessees from local bodies of hotel premises and all holders of brewers' licenses and wholesale licenses were to sell their properties and, in the case of brewers and wholesale licensees, their businesses as manufacturers and wholesale vendors to the Corporation in return for B shares. The values of the transferred assets were to be assessed in the manner provided by the Public Works Act for the

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