LICENSING BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19163, 21 November 1927, Page 8

LICENSING BILL.

NO CRISIS IN REFORM PARTY. FATE IN UPPER HOUSE. [THE PBESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 20. Not for many years has there been so tense a political situation in New Zealand as exists at present. The reason, of course, is the situation in Parliament in regard to the licensing issue. The faci that twenty-seven members of his own Party, including six members of his Cabinet —Messrs Anderson, Nosworthy, Rolleston, Downie Stewart, Wright, and Young—voted against the Prime Minister on the Licensing Bill, when it was passing through its Committee stage, has led to much wild talk about future possibilities in- the political situation. In the lobbies, in the city, and up and down the country, wild suggestions, including the prospects of an impending dissolution of Parliament and an immediate election, have been made. The enemies of the present Government have also been talking of grave discontent in the ranks of the Prohibitionists in the Reform Party. There are no real grounds for any of these predictions. Naturally strong feeling has been in evidence, as always has been the ease over such problems as Bible in Schools, and Prohibition of the liquor trade, but there is no likelihood of disruption in the Reform Party in consequence of what has happened, for the reason that neither of these questions can be made a Party issue, neither will there be a dissolution.

Speaking to the representative of The Pbess to-day, one of the most ardent Prohibitionists in the Keform Party said there would be no disaffection in the Party in consequence of what had happened in the House the other day, and thqre would be no demand for a dissolution, but at the next election the question would be mainly Prohibition. Perhaps this member is correct in his surmise, but perhaps not, as there will be other issues as well, and some of them will scarcely be unimportant. Apparently Mr Coates has taken no one into his confidence, not even the members of his own Cabinet, in regard to his future course of action on the Licensing Bill. In this he is quite within his rights seeing that the issue was not one for Cabinet to decide, and that the Bill was his own Bill. The future course of action, apparently, has not been settled, and in this Mr Coates has probably also decided wisely, for until he has either succeeded or failed in his attempts to secure a compromise, he cannot decide. That he will fail in his efforts at compromise is considered certain by some, for the simple reason that the advocates of Prohibition in the House of Representatives will not agree to alter what has already been decided in regard to the Bill by a majority of the House. The situation will not be cleared up until Mr Coates's return from Auckland on Tuesday, when he is to meet three representatives of the liquor Party, who have been favouring his Bill as originally introduced. It is understood that one of these delegates will he a member of the Labour Opposition. After this conference has been held the position will remain as it is. When the negotiations have come to a dead end, it will be for Mr Coates to decide upon the future course of action. There will apparently then be only one course open, viz., to bring the Bill again on to the floor of the House, put it through its remaining stages, and pass it on to the Legislative Council. There can be no certainty of what its fate will bo there, but the chances are that either the Bill will be thrown out or amended. Possibly one or other of the principal clauses may be reinserted or a modified clause in regard to the majority issue may be agreed to. In this case there will be a deadlock between the two Houses, and the Bill will be killed.

Meantime the various sections of the Opposition in the House of Representatives are interested observers, hoping that the dissolution of the Reform Party is at hand. In this they are likely to be disappointed.