THE LIQUOR BILL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 5

THE LIQUOR BILL

POLL TO BE TAKEN IN ' APRIL PROHIBITION WITH COMPENSATION BARE MAJORITY VOTE STATE .CONTROL ISSUE AT NEXT . v GENERAL ELECTION ; The Licensing Amendment Bill, which, . jif it passes into liiw, wiil provide fox. the taking of a poll on the recommendations of the. National Efficiency Board in respect of the liquor trade, was intrb'duced in the House yesterday afternoon, and the second reading was carried,without remark.. . ' ~, The Bill consists of 7a clauses, but only about a dozen of them are interesting. The remainder.concern only the officers who will have to carry out the poll and-anything that-may have to be clone after the poll. Tho central proposal is that on n, day in April there shall be taken a poll, for which the two issues on the ballot-paper eimll be as follow:— I Vote for National Conununnce. J I Vote for Nntjonal Prohibition, with ' . Compensation. New rolls are to' be prepare! for the poll, and in general the provisions of the legislature as affecting elections are to apply. The penalty lor the offence oipersonation may be a hue not exceeding .£SO or imprisonment for a term not ex.oeeding three months. All soldiers, whether in New Zealand or abi;oad, aro to have an opportunity of voting, and the manner of taking the soldiers' votes is to bp.\ prescribed by regulation. The is- '. «ue for which the greater number of votes'is recorded is to be deemed to.be carried; that is to say, the issue will be determined by "bare" majority." I If the result t of the poll as declared is . 'i disputed, a recount of the votes may be demanded by application , to a Magistrate, and the recount is to be made in the presence of a Magistrate. If the result of the poll be in favour of National Prohibition, then Prohibition is to come into force on June 30 following.. Excep- . tionis made to make it possible for .liquor to be manufactured or sold for medicinal, sacramental, scientific, or industrial purposes. The penalty, for man'u.faclurs'or sale of liquor in contravention . of the law, or for attempting to commit such an offence, orfor aiding or abetting ■in the commission of.such an offence, may bs a fine .not exceeding .£IOO for-a first offence, and to . imprisonment : for a term not exceeding three months for a second offence. In the easel of ; the defendant being a body corporate, the penalty for a first offence may be <E2OO, and £im for a second offence. ' If Prohibition is carried lio licensing poll shall at'any time be taken in any district.. j ... Compensation. ] , The amount of compensation does not Eeem to be specifically, limited by any • clause in the Bill. *The Minister o'f Finance is empowered to borrow sums aiot to exoeed-in the total four millions and a. half,' and the sums borrowed, hav-. ing been first paid into the Liquor Trade Compensation Account, may be used for the payment of compensation, to.the per-'-sous specified as entitled to receive it, and to ao others. This , may in effect : amount to a limitation of compensation to four"millions and a half, but nowhere in the Bill is the limit of com•pensatiou which the Courts may award denned. ■

■' Owners of the freehold of hotel pre'lnises' and lessees of hotel premises, and sub-lessees from , a lessee or sub-lessee ■:of hotel premises, but not lessees or-sub-lessees by way of mortgage, are entitled to claim only in respect of depreciation 'of the value of the estate or interest owned by the claimant in the premises and- land) .and ■ of-depreciation'- of -the value of plant and fixtures and fittings' in the premises. Owners of the , furniture of hotel premises may claim compensation for depreciation of the value of thej furniture.. . Hotel licensees are to be entitled to claim in respect of termination of trade of hotel premises, but oiot in x respect of any other matter. Holders of'wholesale licenses are to be entitled to claim in respect of the termination of. trade, but for nothing else. Chartered clubs may be given coriipensation for loss of tho rights to sell alco- ; holic liquor, but for nothing'else'; AVine.makers may receive compensation, for ■depreciation of the value of plant, machinery, and.fittings used by the claimants ( for wine-making within one year previously to the commencement of the ■Act,- and for termination of trade if the claimant has manufactured wine within one year from the commencement of the ■Act. : Maltsters and owners of hop-kilns |in New.Zealand may be entitled to compensation for depreciation of buildings, plant, and -machinery-.used forHhese purposes within,a year before the commencement of, the passing of the Act, and for termination of trade. Owners of vineyards, tho grapes produced in which have; been used -wholly for the 'making of wine within the period of two' year 3 before the commencement of the Act, may receive compensation in respect only of the value of the freehold of the vineyard. Brewers' servants • p.nd hotel servants may receive compensation only i in respect of loss of opportunity of occ'iiipation. Claims may be made by one .person or group of persons in two or more capacities, as when a fcrewer'is also the owner of hotel premises. ' 'Claims for compensation will bo hoard ■ by a Court of Compensation, (o consist of a President, who must be a Stipendiary ' Magistrate, and two assessors, nil to be 'appointed by the Government, but it is provided' that one of tho. two assessors [must be a person rpnrovod bv the Government -as represent ing the class of persons entitled to compensation under the Act. The Government may apnoint.such '.a number of Courts as may be doomed i necessary. Every Court is (q be given full powers to insist upon the production ■of all evidence, documentary or otherwise, which may be necessary .for the determination of the iimounr r.f compensation to bo paid. No costs nre to !■<■ , allowed by the Court (o the claimant or ■to the Grown, or to any other rcorsons or : parties. Claims for compensation' made by brewers' servants or hotel servants are to be heard b.rvn M.-iEristrate n lone. : Holders of stocks cf liquor for sale nro not to bo entitled to comnnnsation on nenniint nf stocks which tl»>y may sn hold. . 1 hey will be allowed to cj.nort tlieir slocks of liquor and receive refund ■of Customs diitips, but in order to ert Iwek dutv pan! they must export wiHiin six months after the lapse nf ' their license to soil. It appears that no private person may imrmrf I'inuor for his own consumption, but there is nothing in (he Bill m/iking it an nffenr-o to retain slocks of lintior already in his possession when Prohibition conios into operation. State Control. If Continuance should be carried at the poll, provision is made for the submission of the issue of national purchase and control of the trade to the people at the next general election. 'J he definition of State purchase. * and' control is quite clea.r and complete. It moans that the Government may buy out the whole business of the manufacture and sale of liquor, and the premises where tho trade is carried on. The ballot paper is to bo as follows:— ' I vote for National Continuance. I- vote for State Purchase and Control. I vote for National Prohibition. In order that any proposal may be carried thero must be polled in favour of it more than half of I ho number of votes recorded. If no proposal be carried, flicn the status quo remains. District No-License is not lo be submitted as an issue afnext election. The local vcio is cut out, except in NoLicense districts, where the electors are to 'be given a. vote on the question of the restoration of licenses or continued Prohibition. If National Prohibition should be carried at this poll (at next general election), it is to come into operation on June 30 next following the date of the election. In the event of Prohibition b«- , iDg carried at this eecond poll, no com-

pensntion shall be payable to anybody, I a,ud thereafter no licensing poll is to be • ■ '.en in any district. if .the people should declare for State, puirchaso and control the- Gbvpruincnt will appoint ii controller, and (his officer will by virtue of his appointment bo an officer of the Department of Justice. All licenses aro to lapso on the determination of the poll, and liquor will bo manufactured and sold only by the con troika , and i the branch' of the Justice Department o which he is the head.. BuHlio State will not, 'because of the carrying ot btnto control. 1)0 entitled to extend the trade into No-Licenee districts. The Minister of Finance Iβ empowered to raise the sum of ten millions for the pitrchase of tho trade. . ~,,.' After the establishment of Slate control, two issues-Prohibition and btate Control-will be submitted to tho people at subsequent polls to be taken every general election.