SENSING BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19171, 30 November 1927, Page 9

SENSING BILL.

PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT. « 0 COMPROMISE ON MAJORITY ISSUE. BIL L TO GO BEFORE HOUSE AGAIN. WELLINGTON, November 29. '. «,. House of Representatives toll ifr Coates made a statement re- *, 7tie Licensing Bill and the C,the Lansing Bill as foliows:*S aedre to make tho following Vt &i to the lino of action I in--Ito take in connexion with the • * Bill. I need not recall to the position at which con- %» of thiß meaSUre WaS ad ' m . It i» sufficient for' my purpose that by amendments in the House Iliad taken a form which I per- \ eonld not hold myself respon'fhr and accordingly moved to rert j»pe» in ° rder to allow time for titt and for consultation with ""Jlntitives of different points of I ■lit. members will recollect that 2. jhHoii of 41 to 34 progress was llJa gecordingly and leave ob'Tj for the Committee on the Bill Z& *&*• the interval man y lb«r»have called upon me and have ' y very definitely their view that Si the effect of the vote to reS'tao/rress been thoroughly unm V them, they would have S. i{ necessary to vote in a differrfßianer, and it is doubtful whether Lm would nave been reported had Kj numbers voted in accordance Xtlat they now declare to be their :!Übu Tho situation has conseatly been to some extent obscured Ujj misunderstanding, and in the i Lmtanoes I have received intima?Sfrom a very large majority ot ; 2,0! of my Party in Parliament ittiit their opinion an opportunity Ui be afforded for the Bill to re■id further consideration this sesjjJß&jg the period since progress was ! Borlw I have carried out to the jUlt extent the undertaking that I art it the time. I have made opJrtjjjity for frequent consultation rtl honourable members representing pW points of view, and nave done imkj in m y P° wer *° hring about ■ lownent. My principal effort has koto arrange a compromise upon the ■utjoo of the majority that Bhould Inmnnd to carry National Prohibifa.Ml regret to say that in this jjwtton my efforts have been unmiig. It is a fact that many memtaoftbe House are definitely pledged t} i bare majority on this question adthese members feel that they have »jwer to accept or even to conifer lay compromise on this point. Ot mj other question I am happj tonf'l have been able to ar IJ!» I complete agreement be twa-tbMe honourable members with item I have been in conference, and ithasbeen possible also to agree upon ' tatotkar..propo9alfl which I am conMrtffttf. opinion of all shades will lySi there should be a system tt utpjig barmen. (pwthe payment of large sums of aooor Ar goodwill on the transfer •flibense should be prohibited. fli goodwill, whatever it purported bis, wi in actual fact paid for th« turn itself. It has been agreed or bit tides that the traffic in licenses ■u«d by the Stat© is not in the insula of the country. Though th« Ktnal terms of this provision have not jet been drafted, the principle ha! m approved. "Though all must, regret that an •peement on the question of majority to be required has been found to to impossible of attainment, in the circumstances very great progress has i> general been made in the short time »t my disposal for negotiation. I feel I*t it is a real advance to be able to report an agreement (with that one Important exception) between those nonstable members holding opposing news, and I feel that those concerned werve thanks for the manner in which % net us, although we are, of course, »"U faced with the definite and final ttunict 1 of opinion on the question of JM majority. My own personal convicma on the matter is unchanged. I still «ld the view that no measure of this tai should be allowed to paßs without »mffieient majority in the country to Wnte its enforcement, and to afford "«. degree of stability which such a 'wolutlonary change demands. Mj Jpion on this point is rendered only monger by the anxiety expressed ii J*» quarters that in the event of Pro jwition being carried no poll for re JJiHoa.ihonld be taken for a lengthj Woo. Surely no stronger case for t Witantia] majority could be made thai jj» existence of some considerable ner joosoejs that Prohibition might almosi be reversed. J find it impossible also to ignon vWinrther considerations—Firstly, tha JJJM Prohibition be carried, a largi Wber of people would be thrown ou " «mployment, and that a period o: and confusion (temporary a r*«) must ensue, and secondly, that om S7. to effßct of the enforcement o: would be a material reduc t»n i„, revenne > amounting to somi Ua. n P° unds Per annum in Cus „ " to excise duties alone, and tha difficulty in the adminia r*»M of the finances of the countr; B f »• experienced. * reel also that other features in th "*«« are worthy of consideratioi j*° Perbaps I may be excused if I n «t W°n e I* 180118 ! aspect. I thin tha iLrS J» <m w»l Election many mem • w the Reform Party were retun &«„ only 0n thei r personal qual: itßMvf' °, r as a result of their ow «X * ctoia » but lar ß el y b y virtll iftiT, ■ ■ * that the y announced thei ft*?? t0 tbe B « form P« rt 7» an Q Mention to support myself a «*d pit.. "s?,* M leader of my Partj »Uii«S?»v i T inißter of the country, m iM are wider than the r " tte PiT °' any one m e mber c *l» te« I' ° f tho House - lam UI **» A an * n^iv idual point c I am hound to consider, e 'tfon* ln the case °f such a sweepm tjfJS B M .*°»M be involved in tl %b» ft Prohibition, mv responsibi K,a,i n * ho,e of th e electors of tl *«ibE *? d not merel y to a sectiol Moires 8e Conflictin g points < *<&t e«r }& ijlst other, and givir. to »v«. * nd ear nest consideratic tottFt * Wect of the ma tter that atfc. j™ ">e to be worthy of atte: ViH Come to the conclusi( tj ri T ti! ny J luty in the circumstanci »f eo«!,] u * H °nse another opportunil Ui C» ttiu S the Bil V especially wil ferred j ements t0 which J have r wL an \ generally to enable the Who feel that they have be< **••«» th* e P° Bition t0 take wh; '*» '. no,r consider necessar, ,•; w *s°ttttnity wiu accordingly 1

taken for further consideration of the Bill in Committee. "In taking this course I wish it to bo clearly understood in the House and in the country that my own views on the matter are entirely unchanged, and even at this last moment I urge hon. members to consider carefully the proposal that I originally placed before the House. The Bill, as it was amended in Committee, is not, in my judgment, a wise measure, and there must be no doubt whatever as to my own position. I never have been, and lam not now, a supporter of the bare majority on this issue. The House in its wisdom has thought otherwise, and when affording an opportunity members have asked for, to consider the Bill further, I want to take the opportunity of divesting myself of all further responsibility for its carriage in its present torm.