NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3142, 21 July 1917, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE

. RESOLUTION KKC.ARDINti HOTEL HOURS. in view oL' tho rumours nf propused compromises by Parliament on the hours of closing liquor bare, the executive of t'lio-New Stenliind Alliance on 'Ihursriay evening unanimously adopted tho following resolution:— '"riiot in order to secure the utmost efficiency.in win , time anil in view <if Uio widesprDad and urgent demnnd fnr ti o'clock as the latest lioiir for His sale of liniior. proved by the signatures of over' IbTi.OOO electors to tho petitions lo I'arliuujojTTT llfis executive of tho New Zeulund AUinneu reaffirms its demand for 6 o'clock closing as the absolute minimum of verorm, and it refuses to consider uiiy Inter, iiour. Failing tho enactment oft G o'clock closing, tliis executiro most s'rongly urges Parliament to {.'rant n referendum on tho question of N»tiou;il ProHibition, to have immediate effect and to remain,in forco for- the period of tho v/iir itnd of demobilisation. "The executive respectfully reminds Parliament that in order to win llio v.av which so much affects us. our Allies, Enssin, IJYance, and the United States oC America, have tuken much more drastic steps in the direction, of prohibiting strong drink than wo are now asking for. In our own EmpireUho King has led the way in personal abstinence-and in proluoiting the use of alcoholic Jitjuors in his household. In Britain thousands of liquor bars havo been closed, tho hours of snle liavo been reduced to 5V per day over the greater part of tho country, and the output of liquor has been reduced by over 0110 half. Oanada has becomo almost wholly a prohibition territory. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania have adopted 6 o'clock 'closing; "Can it be supposed that all these places have been mistaken in their action, and is New Zealand to stand before ihe whole world as the place where the liquor traffic is shielded and the appetite for strong drink is to bo pnt under no restriction? 'We appeal to the Govc-rii-ment either to put hew Zealand in lino with the rest of our Empire and with our Allies or give the people the opportunity of doing so."