LICENSING BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19155, 11 November 1927, Page 11

LICENSING BILL.

STATEMENT BY N.Z. ALLIANCE. "RETROGRADE PROPOSALS." The following statement on the Licensing Amendment Bill is made by the New Zealand Alliance: The Standing Committee of the New Zealand Alliance considered the Licensing Bill, and on behalf of the 319,450 Prohibition voters issued the following statement for publication: The New Zealand Alliance appreciates the statement made to. the House yesterday bv the Rt, Hon. the Prime Minister that the Bill as introduced is entirely of a non-Party nature, and that the members of the Government Party are quite unfettered by any Party ties in their consideration ol the proposals which are submitted in the Bill. His statement that the continued inclusion of the State Purchase and Control issue can hardly be justified as it is not. a live issue is in accord with the evidence revealed by the small vote cast in favour of State Purchase and Control at the three polls at which it has been an isstfe. We also appreciate the statement made by the Prime Minister in which he said that as far as he was concerned the House will remain sitting until Christmas provided licensing legislation can be thrashed out and a satisfactory solution arrived at. The New Zealand Alliance has, in deputation to the Prime Minister, repeatedly asked that licensing legislation should be left to tlie decision of the free and untrammelled vote of members of Parliament, and we are gratified to have the repeated assurance of the Prime Minister that such will be the case. , With reference to the contents of the Bill itself: we are disappointed that the provision for the two issue ballot paper is stultified by_ the provision that a 55 per cent, majorit*- must be obtained before National Prohibition can he carried. We see no reason to justify such a provision, as we are certain that when Prohibition is carried by a majority vote the people of New Zealand will be prepared to stand behind* the enforcement of the law. We are hopeful that a majority of tho members of the present Parliament will he prepared to amend the Bill and grant the two-issue ballot paper while retaining the bare majority. With reference to the six-year poll: The New Zealand Alliance has always strenuously opposed any extension of time between licensing polls on the ground that such provision will restrict the power of the electors to control the licensed liquor traffic, will enormously inflate the "goodwill" attached to licenses, and will extend the power of the vested interests which control the liquor traffic to the detriment of the' people of New Zealand. We are hopeful that Parliament will reject this undemocratic demand of the licensed Liquor Traffic. With reference to the National Restoration Poll: The. Alliance is on record in favour of the resubmission of the question to the electors after Prohibition has had a fair trial. The de-tails-of the proposal for the National Restoration Poll are receiving our careful consideration.

The provision for special polls where licenses are affected by changes in electoral boundaries needs careful consideration, and especially if made retrospective. Part 11. of the Bill contains some amendments which have been asked for by the New Zealand Alliance for the better control of the trade while it continues to exist. Some amendments, however, we consider retrograde, and we especially oppose Section *33, which proposes to extend the hours of permissive sale of liquor in the diningrooms of hotels until 10 o'clock at night. Wc are also opposed to any removal of control from the Licensing Committees to the police. In conclusion, we look to those Members of Parliament, who at the last election declared themselves as opposed to any increase in the facilities for the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic liquors to see that such retrograde proposals are as contained in the present Bill'are defeated when the Bill is in the Committee stage.