LICENSING AMENDMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 298, 10 September 1920, Page 8

LICENSING AMENDMENT

TRANSFER OF LICENSES GENERAL DEBATE IN THE HOUSE LEGISLATION AFTER NEXT POLL Tiie Minister of Justico (Mr. Lee) moved tho second reading of tho Licensing Amendment Bill in tho House of Representatives last night. This Bill, which origi luted in the Lagfolativn Council, is inlcndod to prevent evasion of, the law, winch prohibits the removal of a license beyond tho limits prescribed by section 127 of the Licensinc Act, 1908. Transfers beyond the limits have been effected owing to a defect in the existing law. Tho Bill removes this defect, and gives effect to tho intention of the existing law, Clause 3 proposes to repeal section in of fhe principal Act, which, provides that the people may requisition for on increase of licenses in tho_event # of a sudden increaso in population, in. ft licensed district. The Minister indicated that ho would withdraw fins clause mi committee, as its inclusion in the Hill was considered unnecessary. Section 80 of the 1910 Act tho numtar if publicans' licenses, but did flot specify cat'li kind of license. The repeal of section 5 of tho 11)10 Act repealed the cluwa that limited tho numb,or. of licenses ot each description, and it was now intended to amend section SO en as to include each kind of license. Mr. Lee appealed to the Hous© not to useful© Bill for fho purpose of opening up tue wholo licensing auestion. , .un,, Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) told the Minister that he could not expect the Bill to go through without the wholo question being opened. The lion. her repeated his former assertion? _ tlmt was not the solution of the drink problem. He proposed to move in tho committee stage of the Bill amendments to the following effect:—(l) That in future licensing polls should be taken on a date other than that of the general election; (2) that in order to secure to the public pure liauor. licencing committees should be obliged to take samples at least three limes a year of the liquor in their districts, and have such samples Analysed and a, report on the niio lysef made available for publication ; (3) that the present licensing fees ehould be abolished, nnd a charge of 2i per cf-nt. miule on all purchasers of liquor by licensees; (4) that in order to sccu;:e increased accommodation at existing or new licensed premises tho number ot rooms for the use of the travelling public should not be less than twelve m the country. 20 in the towns, and 30 m the citics, and that in order to ensure the provision of such accommodation the I licensing poll should bo taken at eixvearly intervals. ■ ■ " In tho subsequent debate, Mr. M Combs (Lvttelton) restated the case for prohibition. Mr. M'Callum (Wairau) called tho Bill a "poor little atom, not worth discussing." Ho desired to see sweeping reforms of the liquor traffic, and was not surprised that "the prohibitionists should complain of the present state of affairs. Ho threatened to move tis own Licensing Bill, clause by clause.

The Prime Minister's Views, Tho Prime Minister said that? to attempt to discuss or deal with the licensing question on that night would be simply a waste'of time. So far as he was able to judge, there would be no serious or important amendments inserted in tho Licensing Act prior to tho next licensing poll, which would probably take place at the samo time as the 'next general election. That was his opinion at the moment. Ho did -not say that there would be .absolutely no but if anything was done ho thought it would be simply to remove anomalies. If tho liquor trado survived the next licensing poll, it wc-uld bo tho duty of Parliament to deal with it as it had not been dealt with for tlu; Inst twenty years —and that not in the interest either of the liquor trado or of the Prohibition lVrty, but in the. interest of the country as a whole. Undoubtedly the whole system callcd for reform. The Act of 1881 was the one on which we were working to-dav. Very important amendments had been introduced in 1391 or 1695, but sinco that time little or nothing had been done. Though lio agreed with thoso who had said that there was great need nf reform, he did not think much would be done until the electors had had another opportunity of expressing their An lion, member: Lot us amend it-first. Mr Massey replied that it was mipcssiblo to say what amendments were required or were, possible until the .electors had again dealt with the question. Touching the Bill before the Houso, ho wished to any that it. had 'been brought down at the urgent request of a number of peo-plo to remedy two defects in tho licensing legislation. There were many people who were not prohibitionists .who were anxious to see the Bill passed into law, and the spirit of the Act carried rut in its entirety. Wh?n the present Licensing Act was passed into law it was never contemplated that licenses sliould be removed from one part of an electoral to another part beyond certain distances provided by the Act. In several instances the wrong thin? had been done, because the spirit of tho Act had not been complied with. I here were only two clauses of any importance in tho measure, and tho Government did not intend to have it amended in any way. Mr. Lysnar: Wo will try to amend it, 'Mr Massey said that the lion, member was quite within his rights in moving amendments if he desired to do 60 He was anxious, liowevcr, that tho House should promptly come to a division. ™ the motion for the second Teading.| When the Bill reached the committee stage members might move tlieir amendments, but if any amendment was cairietl, and anything put.into the Bill that was not in it at Che present me, the Bill would not lie proceeded with. He hoped that the Houso would not delaj in Vetting back to the ordinary busin«o of the session. Thore was plenty of woik in hand. Various Opinions. In the course of further debate, Mr. ! Isitt (Christchurch Ivortli) argued against any increase in the number of Ees, and Mr, Jenni.p (AVaitomo said he would approve of the tiansfei of licenses from districts posossed of too many to districts that had too feu. Mr. Svkes (Masterton) told the House that there were children in Masterton who Tiad never seen a 1 When no-license was earned m Maoteiton, people had predicted the luin of the town. But to-day it was one of the soundest towns in Now Zea and fiom fi financial standpoint. Mr. tikei) thought that the real on s whether 1 ccnses should bo piaceu wi ul iKeople wanted then, or not He ul seen more" drunkenness ™ tho iuiu Country, without icense, than m his own district, with license. < The Bill was road a second timo on the voice 3. RIFLE CLUBS

The lone and honourable rifle club members with ths D« e "«s forces was the reason given by Mr. N. T. Jennings (Wnitomo) for asking if the Minister of Defence approved of tho new policy indicated in tho Defenco re S. The military authorities, sa d Air .Tennintp, wore proposing to sera rate tho rifle clubs from the Defenco Department. Most of the ™« nl £ s Vo f theso clubs were old members of flio \ of nnteer Kind Territorial forces. rIiPJ wore i rained men, and lie would iko Hip Minister to remember-that in AuckVrnl city, for example, Mr. James P. r>l')\v and Mr. J. Henderson, who had shot with Mr. Jennings himself twenty ycais ii"o, were now scorins: 100 out of a possible 105 points at rifle association meetings The dissociation of the rifle clubs fr»i« I lie Defence forces would not be in tho interests of the clubs for rifle Sir'ncaton Rhodes replied that lie had already told tho representatives of the liilip Association that ho would confcr w 4 ith Ahem before tiny ohango ivas made.