THE SCOTTISH TEMPERANCE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1963, 21 January 1914, Page 9

THE SCOTTISH TEMPERANCE BILL.

Rii-,—l notice that two of vour contributors, "Moderato" and "One Vote, One Value," are discussing tho Scottish Temperance Bill. • This Bill' nrovidos first for a requisition from 10 nor cent, of the electors on the roll before , a voW can be taken at all. It also provides that when a rote is taken "three-fifths" at least of tho number of votes recorded must ho in favour of No-License to carry a No-Liconse resolution. , I also read, the following in the Auckland "Free Press," a Prohibition newspaper ''Compromise Arrived At.—On the Scottish Temperance Bill a bargam has been struck, and the measure is now certain to hecomo law.. The terms of tho comnromi.'e provide that:— ''Tho Act shall come into operation : on June 1, 1020.instead of .Tunn 1, .1917. Jin other .words, the time-limit of five years Ins heen increased to eight years. "A No-License resolution.shall be carried if at least on persons in a hundred vote, and if at. least .35 of these persons am in favour of No-License. "A limiting, .resolution shall bo carried if a' bare majority of votes cast . are in its favour, provided that the said majority is not less "than 35 per cent. T.he electors. ■ "A limiting resolution reduces the number of licenses h.v 2n per cent. "Burghs with fewer than 25,000 inhabitants shall vote not in wards, but as a whole, and in the case of largo burghs, where "the .voting is hy wards there is a proposal for combining these so as to secure a suitable area." But this Scottish Temperance Bill Booms to he a fair measure. It doerTi'vf. come into operation till the end of I! 320. ami then supposing No-Liconso is carried in any ar«a. it does not follow that all lioi'.or is to he kc-nt out of tint ' area. or. that the individual is to bo deprived of the right of enjoying a class of whisky or a glass cf Oh, Soar. no; there is no prohibition,, about tlie Scottish Temperance Bill. As wo in Nov.' Zealand have something to learn from this Scottish Temperance Bill, permit me to nnoto a portion of vS?e.tion 3:—"For the period during which No-License remains in force inany area, no certificate (i.e., license) shall he granted therein, except that tlie Licensing Court may. on being satisfied that under tho special circumstances of tho case any certificate is reasonably required, notwithstanding tho fact that a No-Liconso resolution is in forco in the area, grant one or more certificates (i.e., licenses) for an inn and . hotel or for premises structurally adapted. for use and bona fide used-or-to bo used is a restaurant."

Then this is tho definition of a Xor.icciiso resolution. It moans that "no certificate for the sals of excisable (frjuors shall ba Granted except for inns,

hotels, or restaurants in special cases."

This is a Temperance Bill, not _ a Prohibition Bill; it is Jiot even a NoLicense Bill, for the moderate people are so safeguarded that even if' a NoLicenso resolution is carried by a threefifths majority the Licensing Court, which .is not .'elected by popular vote, may over-ride tho No-Liccnso resolution in the interests of those who want alcoholic liquors, grant certificates to dispeTisb such drinks to owners of "inns, liotels, and restaurants." This Bill is not what "Olio Vote Ono Value" thinks it is. If Mr. Masscy puts forward a Temperance Bill like Scotland's, temperance friends would support him, but not Prohibitionists or No-Licensc folk.—l am, etc., ' ■ SCOT.