SOME TRADE VIEWS.

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

SOME TRADE VIEWS.

MR. MARTIN KENNEDY’S OPINION.

THE QUESTION OF STATE CONTROL.

Interviewed in Wellington by a “Dominion” representative Mr- Martin Kennedy prefaced a statement of his views by the remark that he could

not pretend to voice the opinion of the "Trade.” Speaking, however, as managing, director of Staples and 00. a firm with important interests at stake—he was decidedly of opinion that under the Bill large concessions were made to the No-license party. The reduction of 55 per cent, of the valid votes necessary to carry National Prohibition exposed the “Trade” enormously, especially in view of the fact that in the last poll taken the margin was very close in almost all electorates. “The draft Bill, I understand,” continued Mr. Kennedy, “contained a provision for State control- We tried to secure its exclusion, and failed. We would not like it with compensation, and without compensation it would mean confiscation. As it does not now appear in the Bill, I conclude that its absence represents a concession to our opponents. We may assume that Sir Joseph Ward put the clause in the draft Bill to frighten both sides into submitting to the other provisions of the Bill as a minor evil by comparison. “In the compact, on which the Bill was substantially based —in principle at any rate —the two years were to be allowed for the continuance bf license in a district from the date when No-license had been carried. This, in the Bill, is reduced to one year, which is another vital concession to our opponents. “As much may be said of the retention of the triennial vote. We contend that Dominion option should be decided on a nine years’ vote, otherwise the ‘Trade’ has no greater security of license when continuance is carried under the present law, on a three-fifths vote- Again, if continuance is carried, our opponents may continue harassing the ‘Trade’ as heretofore every three years. The ‘Trade’ is thus denied any greater security under the Dominion vote than it enjoys at present. “If anything can reconcile us to the present Bill, even with extensive modifications,” said Mr. Kennedy, “it is the desirability of being rid of the hypocrisy of the present law, which allows people to vote No-license with the knowledge that they can, even should it be carried, have abundance of liquor in their own houses. “To improve the ‘Trade,’ ” concluded Mr. Kennedy, “security of tenure is most essential. Our company (Staples and Co-) would have spent in this city alone, within . the past three years, fully £IOO,OOO in rebuilding hotels and erecting a new brewery, had such security existed. I do not care to touch upon details, at the moment, as a meeting of ‘Trade’ representatives is now being convened to consider the Bill as a whole-”