THE LICENSING BILL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 4

THE LICENSING BILL

With the Appearance of the Licensing Amendment Bill some prospeetg are raised of a decisive settlement of the long-standing controversy in regard to the fate of the liquor trade in this country. From the summary published in our news columns it will be seen that the Bill has two important features. It makes provision for an early poll on the issues of National Continuance, and National Prohibition with compensation on the basis of the Efficiency Board's recommendation. Alternatively, in case Prohibition should not be carried under these conditions, it is provided that at the next licensing poll three issues shall be submitted. As the proposals run local option is to bo cut out, except that the opportunity will remain of reversing the existing state of affairs 'in districts which are now dry, and the three issues to be submitted are Continuance, Prohibition (without compensation), and State Ownership. The interest of the Bill as it stands centres chiefly in the first part, providing for an early poll on the basis recommended by the Efficiency Board. A question of some importance has been raised, however, in regard to compensation. Under tho Bill the. Minister of Finance is empowered to borrow not more than four millions and a half 'for this purpose, but there does not seem to be any specific limit upon tho amount of compensation to be awarded in detail cases. Some critics of the Bill have suggested that the absence of such limits may lead to the country king committed to the expenditure by way of compensation of a much greater amount than the Minister of Finance is, as the Bill stands, empowered to borrow. The point is one in regard to which it should be possible Ito supply the-House with an.explicit explanation. Should it be stated authoritatively that the data, upon which the Efficiency Board based its estimate will remain, available as a check preventing any expenditure in excess of the gross amount' of compensation set the objection mentioned,, of course, would be groundless. Apart from doubts in regard to the maximum amount of compensation to be paid the attitude of Prohibitionists towards the initial proposal of the Bill should be easily determined. Practically everything depends upon the attitude of those members who, generally speaking, : favour a continuation, of existing licensing conditions. At the point to which the affairs of the session have been carried determined opposition to the Bill would be apt to speedily determine its fate, and the fact that it was allowed to pass its second reading without remark cannot be taken to mean that it is assured of an easy passage. Proceedings in Committee will afford ample scope for extended debate. It is possible, however, that the supporters of the licensed trade may think twice before they reject a compromise on the basis now offered. Tha Bill is essentially a compromise measure and conceivably a compromise may be preferred to a continuation of the struggle and the possibility that ultimately the 'licensed trado may be extinguished without compensation. The decision of Parliament in the matter will be awaited with eager interest. The alternative proposal of the Bill, which will come into force if 'the Prohibition with compensation is rejected at the first poll, cannot be very acceptable to the Prohibitionists, but they may, be prepared to agree to it- rather than risk the rejection of the whole Bill. They .probably realise that there must be a certain amount of give-and-take. If they stand out uncompromisingly for all or nothing at the present juncture they may get nothing. But obviously with three issues set prospects of mustering in favour of one issue an absolute majority of the votes cast would be somewhat problematical. Until this had been accomplished matters would remain as they are. Heavy odds wo,lild thus be created in favour of Continuance. In comparison the possibility What vote-split-ting in a triangular contest might operate detrimentally to the liquor interest seems hardly worth considering. Taking the Bill as a whole, however, the essential question raised is whether or not it is possible to reach a compromise on .the liquor issue.