THE LICENSING BILL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIX, Issue 1075, 13 October 1910, Page 20

THE LICENSING BILL.

NATIONAL PROHIBITION PROVIDED FORSIR JOSEPH WARD IN EXPLANATION. The main features of the Licensing Bill brought down in the House of Representatives by Sir Joseph Ward on Friday are as follows: — ’ National prohibition is to be submitted as an issue at licensing polls. Local no-license and national prohibition are to be carried by 55 per cent, of the voters. If national prohibition is carried the issue, of national restoration is to be placed before electors at the first election three years after the coming into force of prohibition. The proposal for national restoration is to be carried by 55 per cent, of voters, and the determination is to ' come into force after three monthsLicensing polls are to be taken periodically after the determination to > restore licenses. Any determination in favour of national prohibition is not to come into force for four years, and is to remain in force until superseded by the restoration of licenses. On the coming into force of national prohibition or local no-license, all licenses shall, unless determined in course of law, continue in force for the respective periods for which they were grantedThe provision that half the voters ; on the roll must vote to render the *'• poll valid is abolished. This, it is an- ‘ ticipated, will do away with the necessity of putting up no-license candidates to ensure the required attend- ! ance on polling day. During national prohibition, liquor is not to be imported, manufactured, ; or sold in New Zealand. Local restoration is to be carried by 55 per cent, of voters, and shall ! take effect after one year. After local or national restoration is carried, the number of publicans’ licenses granted shall not exceed one for every complete four hundred electors, or less than one for every eight hundred. No bottle license is to be granted or renewed after the passing of the BillEmployment of barmaids is prohibited after June, 1911, except in the case of (a) the wife or daughter of the licensee of the premises, (b) the licensee being a woman, (c) any person registered as a barmaid by that date. The age under which it is illegal to serve youths is extended to 21. The Governor may proclaim districts within which liquor may not be supplied to a native. It is an offence to supply liquor to an intoxicated male native or to a female native (with certain reservations). Licenses are not to be granted in respect to breweries within five miles of no-license districts, and brewery depots are not to be established within the same radius. The reduction issue at present on the ballot papers is abolished. • • • SIR JOSEPH'S EXPLANATION. In explaining the Bill Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill would establish a system under which a vote for national prohibition could be taken upon the basis of 55 per cent, for or against the proposal. There would be two issues only, for or against national prohibition, but the vote at the same time would apply to the question of local option. In districts where license existed the two questions put would be — I vote against national prohibition. I vote for national prohibition. The vote in each district would also be calculated for or against local op-

tion. A vote for or against restoration would be taken In no-license districts. NATIONAL PROHIBITION. In the event of national prohibition being carried, it would be inoperative for four years, and during that time liquor would not be allowed to be imported into, manufactured, or sold in New Zealand. In local option the decision of the people would come into operation one year after the date of the general election. In both cases the vote would be taken at the time of the general election. The local option term Would remain as it was now- The Bill would repeal the provision that half the electors on the roll would have to go to the poll to constitute a yalid licensing election. * * * A VOTE IN EVERY CASE. Mr. Russell: Does that mean that there will be a prohibition vote whether there will be a Parliamentary candidate or not ? Sir Joseph: In the event of a candidate having a walk-over there would be a vote in the ordinary way. No liquor was to be sold to anyone under twenty-one years of age. The employment of barmaids was to be prevented except where the barmaid is registered on a roll after the coming into operation of the Act. This was not going to interfere with the wife or daughter of a licensee, or the licensee if a woman, or any person duly registered under the Act as a barmaid. « ♦ • LIQUOR IN NATIVE AREAS. The law regarding the sale of liquor to natives was to remain unaltered. There was to be no widening of the existing provisions or removal of present restrictions, while the request for the introduction of local option in certain districts where it did not now exist was not provided for. • • * CITY LICENSING POLLS. Among a number of other alterations proposed was one to remove the flaw found to exist in connection with the city electorates. It was proposed that the vote upon the licensing question should not be taken in the individual electorates in and around cities —(hear, hear) —a provision being inserted to group them for the purpose. The flaw which was to be removed was in connection with the alteration of boundaries, for at present it was very questionable whether a licensing poll could be taken in the cities at all. Mr. Allen: Will you state when the national no-license vote is to take pla»ce Sir Joseph Ward: On the day of the general election. • * * THE ISSUES FOR BALLOT. The firset schedule of the Bill, which prescribes the form of ballot-paper, is as follows: — Licensing Poll iff Districts Where Licenses Exist. Licensing District- of I vote against. National Prohibition. (This vote is also counted in favour of the grant of licenses in the district.) I vote for National Prohibition. (This vote is also counted against the grant of licenses in the district.) The voter must strike out the proposal for which he does not wish to vote. If the voter strikes out both or fails to strike out one of the proposals, the voting-paper will be void, and his vote will not be recorded. The voting-paper so marked is to be dropped by the voter into the separate ballot-box prepared for it, and not into the same box as that into which he drops his electoral ballotpaper. The voter is not allowed to take this voting-paper out of the polling-booth.