LICENSING LAW.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 4

LICENSING LAW.

GOVERNMENT BILL THIS SESSION,

REDUCTION OP MAJORITY. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Tho Hon. W. P. MASSEY (Prime •Minister) made a statement as to the Government's intentions with regard fo licensing legislation. "1 should tike' to inako a statement," ho said, "with.,regard to part of the business 'wbßß ,: fl; was intended should be pro'ceetied with in this session. So far as the Licensing Bill is concerned it has • bee Tit.decided to postpone the bringing "dowii, or at all events tho going on with, the Licensing Bill until next scsBJOft." Tho Bill will bo brought down at the beginning of next session, and will contain three important provision;:. ..It will .Contain an attempt to make ;clear n ibfl .proposals on the ballot papers -far tiro licensing 'polls. The Government havo been given lo understand that tho meaning was nob clear on the ballot papers used at last election, and trraHn conscnueneo many people, voted in tho way they did not intend. There will bo another provision relating to the registration of barmaids. The third provision will bo tho most that of reduci«2 the majority required . tor. carrying National Prohibition from

CO per cent, to 55 per cent. There will be other provisions of minor importance, but these are the three important ones.

"I may say that the Bill will not l.x> a party question, ami will not be submitted as a policy measure, but will bo considered as Licensing Bills always are considered. That is to say, every member will vote in accordance with bis convictions, and in accordance with the pledges he has given to bis constituents. On both sides of the House there is considerable diiforenco of opinion on licensing matters. Jinny members of the Government sido will support the Bill and others will vote against it. The same dilfereneo of opinion exists in tlio Cabinet itself. Somo members of the Cabinet will vote for the proposals in the Bill, and other members ot the Cabinet will vote against thorn. The Bill will be brought down at the earliest possible moment next session, and honourable members will have an opportunity of placing it on the Statute Cook."

Mr. Ngata: Will you not bring it down this session? Mr. Masscy: I am not suro whether it will bo introduced this session or not. Mr. Isitt asked whether tho Government would lot the House come to a vote on tho Bill next session. Mr. Masscy said that the Houso would be allowed to come to a vote on tho Bill. Ho added also that he had been advised since he had first spoken that it would bo possiblo to intioduco tho Bill before the end of the present session, and ho could now say that it would bo so introduced this session. COURSE OF BUSINESS, Mr. W. D. S. MACDONALD asked when the Public Works Statement would be discussed. Mr. MASSEY said that the debate would possibly be taken tho next day, and that the Estimates would be taken after tho debate. "So far as tho business of the session is concerned," he continued, "wc hope to be able to finish at the end-of next week. Thero are still a number of Bills on tho Order Paper which will have to be dealt with, but I think if reasonable progress is made we should finish at the end of tho week."