NATIVES AND LIQUOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 302, 15 September 1920, Page 7

NATIVES AND LIQUOR

LOCAL OPTION PRIVILEGES SOUGHT. The Prime Minister was asked yesterday afternoon by tho Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) whether he would make provision in the Licensing Amendment Bill at present before the House for a pfcll to be taken in a part of his electorate to decide whether liquor should. there be, sold to Natives.' Prior to 1911 Parliament had passed legislation which gave the Native residents of a Maori council district the right to decide by a poll whether liquor sliould be sold to their race in that 'district. In one district the poll resulted in a decision that it should not bo sold. It was understood that power would be given them to amend confirm that by a further poll. In 1914 the late Mr.' Mac Donald and himself had innde representations, as- the result of which a clause was actually drafted by tho law draftsman to be introduced, but it was dropped. His constituents had asked that further representations should be made in view of the Licensing Bill before the Houso at tho present time. In the district itself thero were no objections that ho knew of to the taking of the poll,'though the nolicense people might object. I-Ie had made a promise to. his people that they would be given the opportunity of expressing their views on tho liquor issue, but since the poll was taken in 1911 they had not had the chanco to show their satisfaction or otherwise with the deci-i siori then made. He asked the Prime Minister if he would introduce an amendment to tho present Bill, as a private member could not do eo. . Mr. Massey replied that ho had already stated that so far as tho Government was concerned no amendments to tlio present Licensing Bill would be accepted. I Ho was not going back upon that. If Mr. Ngata' would get him a copy of the clause previously drafted ho would have a look at it, and see if it was possible to legislate in any way other than by a Licensing Bill.