THE LICENSING BILL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 6

THE LICENSING BILL

Committee debate upon the Licensing Bill in the House of *Re--prcsentatives last, evening' was very much more interesting than the second reading debate a week ago. From 7.30 p.m. until 9.30 the discussion, although it had some points of interest., was mainly in the nature of preliminary: sparring. The real clash of the Prohibitionists and their opponents came when the debate was resumed' after the supper adjournment. Two amendments were' before the House by way of alternative to the proposal in the Bill to reduce the effective majority at the National Prohibition poll to' 55 per cent. : Mr. )Vilfoed proposed to agree to this reduction on condition' that the 'Local Option issue was,eliminated. This amendment did not get to. the voting stage. : . Mr. Payne, member for Grey Lynn, proposed another amendment': that the bare.majority and compulsory voting should be substituted for 55 per cent. Tho Hon. J.. A. Millar,supported this pro-' posal on the ground that it would mean that a fraction over fifty per cent, of the voters on the roll would be required to. carry Prohibition, whereas at present, with the threefifths in force, 43 per cent, of. the voters might carry Prohibition owing to a percentage failing to vote. Mr. Isitt denounced both amendments as deliberate attempts to kill the Bill, and added point to his denunciation of Mr. Payne's proposal by announcing that.that member had on July 16 given the New Zealand Alliance a written pledge ta support the Bill, and on July 23 had voted •against it. Mr. Payne did not deny the charge, though he attempted to explain his breach of faith. The ■nature of his action ; may be iudged from the attitude' taken up by the members of his own party. Mr. M'Cojibs denounced the amendment of the member for Grey Lynn as "sheer humbug,'' and Mr. Webb intimated that although he was a bare majority man, he could not support the amendment because its effect would be to increase instead of reducing tho effective, majority ,required. Only four members of the House voted for Mr. Payne's' amendment' when a division was taken at 11.10 p.m.—the Hon. J. A.'Millar, Messrs. Hangihiroa and , Glover, and the riiember for Grey Lynn himself. Ten minutes later the principal clause' in the Bill, that- which provided for reduction of, the majority, was thrown out on a division by 33 votes to 31. So far as this session is concerned, therefore, the question is definitely settled, and the effective majorities at the licensing poll will remain as at picsent. It is stated that the refusal of the No-License Party to consider the abolition of. the Local Option poll contributed to this result, but probably even that concession would not have secured tlie reduction for. which tjhe party has been agitating,