BARE MAJORITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 18 July 1913, Page 3

BARE MAJORITY.

AN INSISTENT DEMAND. AL'LIANCE DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. EARLY LEGISLATION POSSIBLE. An insistent demand for the establishment of the bare majority in' No-Licenso polls was put forward by a iarye deputation representing thor New Zealand Alliance, which waited yesterday upon the Hon. W. 1\ Massey (Prime Minister). Representations were also made upon a number of related questions of secondary importance, 'i'ho speakers for tho deputation were the Rev. W. J. Comvie (president of tho Alliance), the Rev. J. Dawson (secretary), and Mrs. A. R. Atkinson. Members of Parliament who attended wore Messrs. G. It. Sykes, l l '. Mander, W. Noswoithy, D. H. Guthrie, J. B. Hine, G. J. Anderson, J. Robertson, C. K. Wilson, J. Craijjie, A. Harris, Jj H. Escott, G. Laurenson, and Dr. A. K. Newman, who introduced tho. deputation. ' * Dr. Newman said that the alliance had to present a united demand for the removal this session of the special handicap of the three-fifths majority. They felt that it was an impossible handicap, and that they had no chance under )t. It was a handicap which did not exist in any other matter of politics or general government. Considering the number of apeople in New Zealand who desired the removal of tho handicap, it was extraordinary' that it should be maintained. The Case for. Reform. The Rev. W. J. Comrie said that besides the chief matter, tho deputation had a number of snialler matters in view. The question of barmaids was one which had engaged the attention of tho Legislature. It would be admitted, he thought, that tho intention of the Legislature had been defeated. He would not say who was responsible, but liquor was being supplied in publichouses by persons' who were not registered barmaids. There was a case here for the Legislature to ''iSike good; its own deliberate intention. The Legislature had contemplated one license and ono bar, and private bars had not been contemplated. Further, it seemed to them unreasonable that hotels should be open at hours and on half-holidays when other places of business ' were closed. Certain abuses had crept in in connection with the sale of wine which, they desired to seo removed. They were opposed to the proposal that Australian wine should be admitted practically duty free. They did not want reciprocity at the expense of morality. They understood that there would probably be legislation dealing with Parliamentary elections, and they earnestly desired that any legislation of that kind should contain safeguards ensuring that they would not lose tho fruits of their labours when the voting papers were counted. They were satisfied that there had been abuses which had prevented the will of electors being given, effect to. Mr. Massey: What are you alluding to? Mr. Commie said that he could furnish particulars privately. An Unjust Majority. 6n behalf of the people they represented, Mr. C'omrie continued, they demanded that the present unjust majority of three-fifths, which was practically a stone-wall against reform, should be taken out of the way. They submitted that if any other political question was submitted to a referendum it would be decided on the bare majority. There was nn agitation in support of tho Bible in schools. He did not wish to enter there into the merits of the question,' but both sides were agreed that if a referendum wero taken it should bo decided by a bare majority. In the contest now going on in the South Island a majority of one would suffice to'send a member to Parliament. A,majority of ono in Parliament would suffice to oust a Government, from office. A majority of one would carry a Bill. Mr. Massey: It takes many divisions to pass a Bill. Mr. Comrie said that a majority of one would carry a Bill through all its divisions. A majority of 55,000 people ill NewZealand, he continued, were'in favour of Dominion Prohibition. It was not equitable that they should be asked to go on fighting indefinitely for a fictitious majority, which was almost impossible to obtain. Opponents of Reform. Three classes of people opposed the reform First, those who said that reform by bare majority would not be stable, and that the politics and trade of the country would be continually see-sawing, and would be unsettled if tho bare majority were adopted. Against this they ciaimcd that there was a certain conservative element which resisted change, and ought always to be counted upon in any reform., Secondly, there were tie vested interests at the back of the liquor trade which was responsible for many votes. Third: There was an element in tho community that was vicious or bordering - upon the vicious. This element gathered round the publichouse. Its members were fostered by the liquor trade, and naturally-gave it their support. Ho was not making charges against individuals in saying this, but it was recognised by the police that around the liquor traffic and places Where liquor was sold there gathered a certain element that was undesirable. • Granting that No-License were carried into force, Mr. Comrie went on to remark, the conservative element would bo on the side of Teform. The money interests at the back of the liquor traffic would bo to a large extent dissipated, and turned into other ahannels before a term of three or five years had come to an end. In a like period the third clement would have been to some extent reformed, and to some . extent scattered. He, therefore, contended that simple majority would be a stable majority. The reform was supported by the strongest, purest, and best forces in tho oommunity. No reform had ever taken the hold upon tho community that this reform had taken; no reform had ever received in equal measure the support of the best thinkers, the best workers, and tho best brains the community, and then passed back into oblivion. • The history of reform showed that it had grown always in face of difficulties, and then by and by been adopted and applauded. He hoped that during tho present Parliament, or rather during the present session, legislation would bo brought down to introduce tho bare majority. Failing this, they thought that at the very least a Bill should be brought in providing for a 55-45 per cent, majority on both issues. Immediate Action Advocated. The Rev. J. Dawson said that the reform was wanted not only this session, but .this month. Mr. Massey: You don't mean July? Mr. Dawson: Yes, this month! It was as well, he continued, that people should know as soon as possible what they had to work for. They felt that tho law was not administered .strictly enough in regard to sly grog-selling in No-Liconse districts. They did not suggest or admit that, there was more sly grog-selling in NoLicense districts, but tho sentences imposed were in many cases trivial, and they wished to enter an emphatic protest against lax administration. The law certainly provided that for a second or third olfence a person might bo sent to gaol, but some Magistrates imposed reduced fines for second oHences, tho fines sometimes dropping from .£SO to £10. For the credit of the law and of the Dominion, tho matter ought to be rectified by the Government. The People's Poll. They felt very restless, Mr. Dawson continued, about tho legal provision that if Parliament dissolved before the end of two years from the preceding election, no liquor poll should bo taken. In this way tho people might bo robbed of their poll. It was conceivable that, in the exigencies of Parliamnt, the people might be robbed of their poll for a period of twenty years. The people's poll ought lo be secured regardless of such exigencies. They felt, tho Faw was being flagranti*- broken in spirit and intention, in there being more than one bar in any open house. When the law was .iltered in 100:1 it dent'lv tho intention of Parliament that there should

bo one bar only, and now there were places that had three bars, and some hotels even had bars ill separato buildings. lie could point to one place in this city where a detached building was used as a bottling' store. A Confident Appeal. As to the majority, Parliament, twenty years ago, had imposed this handicap. Parliament had retained it ever since, and Parliament, was'the only power on earth, that could remove it. "We therelore appeal and with confidence," said Mr. Dawson, "that this Parliament in this session will give us redress." Ho spoke of the present majority as undemocratic, unjust, immoral, and intolerable, especially in view of the fact that 07 electorates had majorities for No-License at the last poll. Only two electorates in the North Island declared, on the same occasion, for national continuance. Twenty-five electorates had twico declared by a majority for NoLicense, 11 electorates had so declared three times, 12 electorates four times, three electorates five times, and two electorates six times. Yet, in consequence of the handicap, only 12 electorates were free. The majority for No-License in tho whole Dominion ill 1902 was 3000; in 1905, 10,000; in 190S, 33,000; and in 1911, 53,000. The Value of Votes. The people who voted for the abolition of the liquor traffic, said Mr. Dawson, wero the best of the electors. It could not be right that a barmaid's vote should count for more than a mother's votq, and that a, bar-loafer's vote should count for more than a father's vote. In the period under review thirty millions of money had been spent in liquor in New Zealand, there had been 100,000 convictions for drunkenness and half of those had been convictions of first offenders. It was not a. question of tho liquor party and the temperance party contesting for supremacy, llr. Dawson declared; the issue wa3 humanity and not party. Hi 3 party was not a revolutionary party, but it was a mighty evolutionary party and. its members, from the North Cape to the Bluff, were emphatically demanding this reform. If justice were not granted by Parliament they would have to consider the next Parliament in a way that they had never yet done. They realised that they were in the hands of a House of 80 men in which 41 members could decide the question one way or the other. A majority of the present members of Parliament were pledged at. least to reduce the majority on the national issue. On Behalf'of the Women. Mts. A. R. Atkinson said that she wished to tell the Prime Minister on behalf of the women that they were beginning to realise that the three-fifths majority must go. In the past they had said: "It is a heavy majority, but wo can do it." They were beginning to realise that they could not do it;, a magnificent majority had been obtained, but liad failed to terminate a single license. "We are not going to stand it any longer," declared Mrs. Atkinson. "Many of us have voted ever since we haws had ,a voto for the party in power, but henceforth we shall vote the man who will vote for the bare majority." The' women, she jdeeJared, would not care what a man was—so long as he a decent man, and would voto for tho bale majority. It was going to mean smashing things. They were not going to smash things as the Suffragettes had done, but they would smash them in a constitutional way with their votes. "This majority is goinp to be heavily reduotd or taken away,' said Mts. Atkinson in conclusion, "or the women are going to know why." PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. POSSIBLE ACTION THIS SESSION. The Prime Minister said that he ■ was not going to argiie for or against the three-fifths majority or the bare majority. He had heard the arguments over and over again, and could use them if necessary, lie wished to remind them of what he had said to two temperance deputations that had waited upon him in Auckland a few weeks ago. One of these represented Presbyterian ministers, and asked for the eleven-twentieths, or 45-55 majority. The other' deputation asked for the bare majority, but ho understood from them that they would be satisfied to acoopt a reduction to 45-55. So fiir as ho was concerned, ho thought that there should be a reasonable majority before such a drastic change as was contemplated came into operation. Ho had to look at it not only from the reform point of view, but from the financial point of view. The Ministry of the day had to bear in mind that the abolition of the liquor traffic would nisan a loss of rovenuo to the amount of about £900,000. Mr. Dawson: £884,000. The Prime Minister said that in regard to barmaids it was quite true that the legislation of last session and previous sessions had been practically set aside by a decision of the Courts in Wellington. This was going to bo put right if it were possible to put it right. A Bill .would be introduced for that purpose this fission. In fact, a Bill had been printed, but he was not quite satisfied with it. and had sent it back to the law draughtsman. As to wine, the difficulty was that the dulv upon Australian wine was ss. a gallon, while the duty upon African wine was 2s. a gallon. Either tlifc duty on Australian wine would have to be redueed to 2s or that "on African wine raised "to ss. With regard to alleged sly-grog selling in No-License . districts he would like to have specific cases. The present Government believed in strict administration of the law, and if the law was not being strictly administered in any prohibition district they would like to have details of what was going on so that it could be put right. Deputationists said they would supply details. , , The Prime Minister went on to say that the possibility of a dissolution before the end of two years from the preceding election was a remote one, but whatever happened the Government was not Eoing to lend itself to anything of the kind sug-gested-the cutting out of tho liquor poll.

Pressure From Both Sides, He would like them to understand, that the pressure to get a Liquor Bill beforo Parliament during the present session did not come only from the Prohibitionists. They would be surprised to know the amount of pressure that was being brought to bear upon tlio _ Government by people in No-License districts who wanted the majority reduced, they said, iu order to give them a chance of getting back licenses. Personally he believed the tiino was coming when the majority would be reduced, when it would be impossible for Parliament any longer to withstand the pressure brought to bear upon it. Por himself, ho had never taken up with the extreme party oil either side. He had never taken up with the Prohibitionists and never taken up with the liquor party. ' What might be faid of him might be said of the average Minister anxious to do his best f«r the people of the country. The Brewers' Organ. It was sometimes said-that the Government'were the friends of the liquor party. Proof to the contrary was to be found in Wellington. All that they had to do was to look at the attitude of the organ of the brewers in the Wellington district, and then look at its attitude towards the party in power. What lie had told the two deputations which waited upon him in Auckland was that bringing a Liquor Bill before Parliament would depend upon the progress made with nolicy Bills. The big policy measures in' hand included Industrial and Land' Bills; In addition there were financial measures mid the financial arrangements for the current year. It was a pretty big programme and all these matters would have to be dealt, with before a Liquor Bill was introduced. They were in for a long session and he was not particularly anxious to bring the session to an end. He wanted to bring the business to an end before members left Wellington, and was not anxious about a week or two. "'1 lie probability is," he added, "that Parliament will be given an opportunity of dealing witli the liquor question before the end of the present session." Mr. Dawson asked whether the question of half-holidays in hotels could nol be dealt with on one of the Labour Bills. llr. Jlflssey replied that the Bill before Parliament *at the present time dealing with the Saturday half-holiday was _ a private members' Bill. The chance of a privale members' Bill passing inlo law was very small indeed. On I lie other hand, the insertion of such a clause as was suggested iu a Government measure would seriously endanger its fate. Dr. Newman thanked the Primp Minister for receiving the deputation and Hint, it-i mnniliar< hope,-] li? would introduce the desired Bill this session,