The Fielding Star. Published Daily. FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 1893. THE LIQUOR LAWS.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 130, 1 December 1893, Page 2

The Fielding Star. Published Daily. FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 1893. THE LIQUOR LAWS.

As the majority of the present members of Parliament have been elected on the Temperance ticket, it may be expected that one of the first things done after the House meets will be to Wipe the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Bill from the Statutes, and substitute another measure in its stead, giving tbe power of Direct Veto to a bare majority. Although some of tbe members may feel diffident in fulfilling their pledges iv that connection, or evince a desire to qualify and amend tbe promises made by them prior to their election to the representatives of the Temperance Societies, yet we believe that the latter, composed as they are for the greater part of women electors, who are the most ardent in the cause, will continue to organise and agitate in such a manner, that for fear of future con sequences, members will be compelled to support the Bill even against their own convictions. The Licensing Laws to come into force next year will be very cumbrous, and to comply with the conditions of the Act of 1893 each electoral district may be put to the same expense, and business equally obstructed, as where there is a general election. Clause 3 provides that the electoral districts for the time being in existence shall be licensing districts, and the roll of "electors of members of the House of Representatives shall be the roll of electors for the purposes of the Licensing Acts. Clause 7 provides that the Eesident Magistrate for the district shall be Chairman, and eight other persons being resident within the district, are to be elected and to hold office for three years. Every election is to be conducted in the same manner as elections for members of the House of Representatives. Our readers will see at a glance, especially with the recent experiences of the hard work done by candidates during the last general elections, that there may be considerable difficulty in getting suitable candidates for the position, entailing as it will much hard work, and very little honor, as compared with other local bodies the members of which have at least the privilege of electing their own presiding officer. There are abundant other clauses with which fault can be found, all of which confirm our opinion that the Act will be found valueless, and therefore should be repealed^