LICENSING BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19175, 5 December 1927, Page 8

LICENSING BILL.

CONFERENCE FAILS. HOUSES DISAGREE. PROBABLE END OF MEASURE. [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 4. Evonts in Parliament on Saturday suggest that a deadlock will be reached on tho amended Licensing Bill, and that the measure will he killed. The first conferences of managers from both Houses of the Legislature disagreed, and it is likely that tho second conference, which will probably be the final one, will bo productive of no definite result. The Bill as amended by tho Legislative Council was reported back to the House on Saturday afternoon, and tho present sponsor of the measure, Mr E. P. Leo (Oamaru) moved that the amendments be agreed to, with the exception of those affecting certain vital clauses. Those were the alteration of the bare majority determination to the 52J per cent, majority decision, and the consequential amendments of tho clauses relating to national restoration of licenses, the institution of six jvarly licensing polls', tho doletiou of tho clause for local restoration being determined on the bare majority principle, and the new clauses dealing with tho strength of wines.

"Reasons" from the House. A committee consisting of Messrs C. E. Bellringer, E. A. Ransom, and J. McCombs, prepared the following reasons for objecting to the amendments. A. That the proposal to substitute a six-year poll for the three-year poll is objected to on the ground that the extension of the period on which the poll is taken is a serious curtailmont of the power of the people to control the granting of licenses. B. That the proposal to substitute an artificial majority for the present law of decision by a majority, which has been in existence for nine years, is not warranted on the grounds,— (1) there has been no expression of public opinion that there should be any curtailment of the popular will; (2) that at none of the three General Elections held since the enactment of bare majority in 1918 has there been any mandate for an alteration in the present law, which provides for decision by an absolute majority. (c) That the proposal to alter tho law to allow wine shops to sell wine up to 40 per cent, proof spirit is distinctly retrograde; it would, in effect, turn a wine license into a spirit license.

Oouncll'B Seasons. The reasons were approved by the Rouse, and they were transmitted to the Legislative Council. The Council decided to insist on the and appointed a committee consisting of Sir. Francis Bell, the Hon. Mr Mclntyre, and the Hon. Mr Scott, which prepared the following rea : sons:— (1) The majority proposed by the Council is a reasonable substitution for the issue of State Control, which the Bill excludes from future ballot papers on the licensing question. (2) During the nine years referred to in the reasons presented by the House, the issue of State Control has been included in .the ballot papers. The existing law does not provide for an absolute majority on two issues. (3) With regard to the amendments providing for an-extension of the period between licensing polls) the Council considers that whichever party succeeds On the two issues now proposed as the sole issues, that party should have a longer interval than the present law allows from disturbance of its position. 4. The clauses dealing with wines do not permit a new or higher percentage of proof spirit in New Zealand wine than is authorised by tho existing law.

A Disagreement. The House declined to accept these reasons, and Messrs Bellringer, Ransom, and McCombs.wero appointed to conduct a conference with Sir Francis Bell and Mr Mclntyro and Mr Scott. Reporting to the House in the evening, Mr Bellringer stated that the conference had failed to come to any agreement. "What's the matter with yout" asked Mr Howard (Christchurch South) amidst loud laughter. It was decided to hold a second conference, the representatives of the House to be Messrs E. P. Lee, D. G. Sullivan, and A. Harris. The cotrfmitteo appointed by the Legislative Council, consists of the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, and tho Hon. Mr Barr and the Hon Mr Garland. Tho opinion in the lobbies is that this conference will probably bo tho final meeting, and that the deliberations are not likely to lead to any definite result. If such is tho case, tho Bill will bo lost. Tho report of tho conference will bo presented on Monday.