The Licensing Bill

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 30 November 1927, Page 6

The Licensing Bill

Premier Announces His Decision

House to Take the Responsibility

Measure to Come Up Again To-Day

Wellington. Nov. 29. When the Speaker resumed the chair in the House of Representatives at 11.30 to-night, the Prime Minister made a statement regarding the Licensing Bill as follows:— “I desire to make the following statement as to the line of action I intend to take in connection with the Licensing Bill. 1 need not recall co hon. members the position at which consideration of this measure was adjourned. It is sufficient for my purpose to say that by the amendment* in the House the bill has taken a foffe which I peisonnlly could not hold myself responsible for. and accordingly 1 moved to report progress in order to allow time for reflection and for consultation with the representatives of the different points of view. Hon. members will recollect that by a division of 41 to 34 progress was reported accordingly and leave obtained for the committee on the bill to sit again, “In the interval mnnv members have called upon me and have stated very definitely their view thnt, had the effect of the vote to report progress been thoroughly understood by them, they would have felt it necessary to vote in a different manner, and it is doubtful whether progress would have been reported had these members voted in accordance with what they now declare to be their conviction. The situation has consequently been to some extent obscured by this misunderstanding, and in the circumstances 1 have received intimations from a very large majority of the members of my party in Parliament that, in their opinion, an opportunity should be afforded for the bill to receive further consideration this session. During the period since progress was leported. I have carried out to the fullest extent the undertaking that 1 gave at the time. 1 have made opportunity for frequent consultation with honourable members representing opposing points nf view, and I have dgne nil that lay in my power to bring about an agreement.

EFFORTS UNAVAILING “My principal effort Has been to arrange a compromise upon the question of the majority that should bo required to carry national prohibition, but I regret to say that in this direction my efforts have been unavailing. Lt is a fact thnt many members of the House are definitely pledged to a bare majority on this question and these members heel that they have no power to accept, or even to consider, and compromise on this point. On every othei question, 1 am happy to say. 1 have been able to arrange a complete agreement between those honourable members with whom 1 have been in conference, and it has been possible also to agree upon two further proposals with which 1 am confident that the opinion of all shades will approve. Firstly, that there should he a system of licensing barmen, and. secondly, thnt the payment of large sums of money for the goodwill on transfer of n licensee should be prohibited. This •goodwill,’ whatever it purported to by, was in actual fact paid for the license itself. It has been agreed on hoth sides that traffic In licenses issued by the State is not in the interests of the country. Though the actual terms of this provision have not yet been drafted the principle has been approved. Though all must regret that an agreement on the question of the majority to be required has been found to be impossible of attainment, in the eircumstaonces very great progress has. in general, been made in the short time at my disposal for negotiation. QUESTION OF MAJORITY. “1 feel that it is a rent advantage to be able to report an agreement (with that one important exception) between those lion members holding opposing views, and 1 feel tliat those concerned deserve thank s for the manner in which they met me, although we are, of course, still faced with a definite' and final conflict of opinion on the question of the majority. My own personal conviction on the matter is unchanged. I still hold the view that no measure of this kind should be allowed to pass without a sufficient majority in the country to secure its enforcement and to afford that degree of stability which such a revolutionary change demands. My opinion on this point is rendered only stronger by anxiety expressed ill some quarters that in the event of prohibition being carried no poll for restoration should lie taken for a lengthy period. Surely no stronger case for a substantial majority could be made than the existence of some considerable nervousness that pronibition might almost immediately be reversed. . I find it impossible also to ignore two further considerations: Firstly, that should prohibition be canned a large number of people would be thrown out of employment, and that a period of dislocation and confusion (temporary. at leasts must ensue: and, secondly, that one immediate effect of the enforcement of prohibition would be a materia] reduction in revenue, amounting t 0 some £2.000,000 per annum in Customs and excise duties alone, and that immediate difficulty in the administration of the finances of the country must be experienced.

PREMIER’S RESPONSIBILITY

I feci also that other factors m the matter are worthy of consideration. and perhaps I may be excused it 1 refer to one personal aspect. J think tliat at the last general election many members of the Reform partv were returned not only on their personal qualifications or as a result of their own appeal to the electors but largely because then announced their adherence to the Reform party nnd their intention to support myself as leader. Now .ns leader nf my party and Prime Mif.'ster of Hie country, my responsibilities are wider than the responsibilities nf nnv one member of the party or of the House. I am unable tn take an individual point of v.-w w I am boiv’ J

especially in the case of such a sweeping reform as would be involved in the carrying of prohibition, my responsibility to the whole of the electors of the Dominion and not merely to a section. Weighing these conflicting points of view one against the other and giving the most careful and earnest consideration to every aspect of the matter that appeared to me to be worthy of attention I nave come to the conclusion that It is my duty >z the circumstances, to give the House another opportunity of considering the bill, especially with the improvements to which I have referred, ano generally to enable those members who feel that they have been placed in a false position to take what action they now consider necessary, VIEWS ENTIRELY UNCHANGED. “An opportunity will accordingly be taken for further consideration of the bill in committee. Ln taking this course 1 wish it to be clearlv uuaeistood m the House and in the country that my own views on the matter are entirely unchanged, and even nt this last moment 1 urge hon. members to consider carefully the proposal that 1 originally placed before them. The bill, as it was amended in committee is not. in my judgment, a wise measure, and there must be no doubt whatever as to my own position. I never have been and I am not now a supporter of a bare majority on this issue. The House, in its wisdom, has thought otherwise, and when affording the opportunity members have asked for to consider the bill further. 1 must take the opportunity of diverting myself of all further responsibility for its carriage ia its present form.’’ The Prime Minister added that the Licensing Bill would come on to morrow, alter which the Industrial Conciliation nnd Arbitration Amendment Bill would be taken. TT« saw no reason why the session should not be concluded hy Monday next.