PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 24, 23 October 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

EARLY CLOSING

AN AGREEMENT REACHED

LOCAL BILLS

The Legislative Council met yesterday at 2.30 p.ln.

EARLY CLOSING. AN AGREEMENT REACHED. SIR FRANCIS JJELL explained tho agreement reacned oy the managers appointed by tlie two unambers to consider the Council's amendments to the bale of Liquor Restriction Bill. The managers had tailed to. agree regarding Clauses <kD (stipulating for "dry" meals on licensed premises Jiefore 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.), and 4E (containing the definition of licensed premises). A new. clause had been inserted by Agreement providing tiiat holders of brewers' and wholesale licences might sell and deliver liquor between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The extra hours in the morning were intended to provide for the use of morning trains and early steamers. Chartered clubs were placed ou exnctly the same looting as hotels. Sir William Hall-Jones: Are you doing away with the lockers? Sir Francis Bell: "Yes." Increased discretion had been allowed to the Minister iu regard to breaches of the Act by ohartered clubs. If a Magistrate reported, after inquiry, that the terms of the charter had been violated, the Minister was required to cancel the charter. But tho Minister was not compelled, as lie had been under tho original clause, to 6et on foot an inquiry whenever an inspector reported that breaches had occurred. Tile original clause had been too severe, in view of the fact that three endorsements of an hotel licence were required to compel cancellation. The managers had felt that a Magistrate might have strong personal views on the licensing question.

The Hon. J. T. Paul: The Minister might hav.e Btrong views.

Sir Francis Bell: The discretion of the Minister is unfettered at the present time.

The Hon. 0. SAMUEL pointed out that accommodation houses did not appear to bo covered by the clause relating to meals on licensed premises outside trading hours. Sir Francis Bell promised to consider this point. Sir Francis Bell moved that the Council should agree to another conference on clauses 4D and 4E, and should appoint the Hon. G. Carson, the Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones, the Hon. C. A. C. Hardy, and the mover to meet the managers for the House of Kepreseutatives. The motion was carried. When the Council resumed at 10.50 p.m., SIR FRANCIS BELL said that the managers appointed by tho Council .to ! confer with tho representatives of the ; other Chamber regarding the amendments ! to the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill had ■reached agreement. The conference had adopted in place of 4(d) anew clause providing that in licensed promises where a substantial evening meal was regulyly served in a room regularly set apart and nsed as a dining room, liquor might be i served between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to iper- ! 6ons partaking of the evening meal, tho i liquor to be consumed as part of tho meal, and not otherwise. This new clause would meet legitimate needs without allowing the dining rooms to become mere drinking shops. The Hon. W. EARNSHAW said the clause seemed to make it possible for a person to consume unlimited liquor between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ■ The Hon. T, MACGREGOR said that the compromise proposed would open a j wide door for the evasion of the Act. ' The Bill purported to prevent the sale of liquor afteri 6 p.m., but the new clause allowed liquor to be sold until 8 p.m. He would opnose the clause. Sir Francis Bell said that _ the necessary safeguards had been provided. Tiie meal had to be a substantial one. 6erved regularly in a dining room, and the liquor had to be sold to a person taking the meal and consumed as a part of the moid. The clause would not enable a person to take 1 quor without a real meal, and would not open a door to general evasion. - Hon. W. Earnshaw. Would not the clause enable a man to buy a whole bottle of whisky and drink it all between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ? , „ Sir Francis Bell: Ties, or a bottle oi champagne if he could. The Council accepted the agreement by 13 votes to 3, the minority consisting ot the Hons. J. Barr, T. Mac Gibbon, and J. MacGregor. SHOPS' AND OFFICES' AMENDMENT. The Hon. O. SAMUEL reported that the Statutes Revision Committee had considered the Shops' and Offices' Amendment Bill, and recommended that it should be allowed to proceed with amendments. The Council went into Committee on the Bill. The Hon. J. MacGregor moved to report progress. He said that the Bill was 1 very difficult to understand and more time should be given for consideration. The Hon. J. Barr, in charge of the Bill, said the Bill had been fully discussed ia the other House, and he thought members understood it very well. Mr. MacGregor was opposed to the Bill as a whole. The Bill, in its present form, provided simply that no woman should be employed in an hotel or restaurant beyond 10.30 p.m. The Committee had added a proviso that women could be employed iip to midnight on special occasions, but the overtime was ( not to exceed 75 hours in any year. The Bill was intended to ensure that women should not be required to leave their work late at night, after the trams had censed running. The Hon. R. Moore said there had been differences of opinion in Committee on the Bill. He wished to see it pnssed, but thought members should bo given time to read the Bill in its present form. The Hon. J.T. Paul opposed the postponement. He said Mr. MacGregor had fought against the Bill in Committee, but had bfen in a small minority. Sir Francis Bell offered to place the Bill on top of the Order Papur. Progress was reported. The Council adjourned at 11.15 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day. 1