LIQUOR QUESTION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 3 December 1927, Page 5

LIQUOR QUESTION

BILL IN UPPER HOUSE THIRD READINC CARRIED. DIVISION LIST. O'er Press Association). Parlt, Buildings, Dec. 3. Speaking m the Legislative Council on the third reading of the Licensing Bill, the Hon. Sir Robert Stout said he doubted the power of the Council to do what it had done, for the bill really involved the appropriation of Crown assets The Hon. T. S. Weston said no democracy was entitled to interfere with the habits and inclinations of a very large minority on a minority vote. If prohibition was to come, let it come, once and for all. The Hon. J, 11. Gow re-asserted the prohibitionists' contention that they were actuated not for Hie benefit of the individual but of the masses, who were suffering indirectly from the evil effects of the licensed trade. The third reading was carried by 21 votes to 13. The division was as follows:— AYES (21). Bell MacKenzie Rhodes Mclntyre Alison .Hander Barr Mitchelson Carrington Newman Clark Reed, Cohen Rikihana Collins Snodgrass Garland Triggs Lang Witty NUES (13). Oraigie Gow Malcolm Hall-Jones .Mitchel Hanan Moore Hawke Smith Isitt Stout MacGregor Thomson INTERESTING SITUATION. WILL DEADLOCK ARISE? (Special to “Tribune.”) Parlt, Buildings, Dec. 3. In view- of the Legislative Council having amended the Licensing Amendment Bill by removing the clause providing for a bare majority and substituting a 52} per cent, proposal as well as restoring the provision for six-year intervals between polls, an interesting situation has arisen. When the bill comes back to the House of Representatives it is practically certain that Mr. E, P. lx?e. who took charge of the measure after the Prime Minister had abandoned it, will move to disagree with the Legislative Council’s amendments relating to the m-ionty and the interval between polls. The probabilities are that the prohibitionists in the House win >mre to ensure that the bare mapority principle is repressed in the bill, for they contend that this is already in the existing law. When the threeissue ballot paper was introduced in 1918 the law enacted that a bare majority of the votes cast for prohibition over continuance and State control would ensure its carriage. Prohibitionists consequently contend that the Council should not exercise its revisory powers in connection with a matter that is already in existence, but only in so far as new principles are concernea.

i Conferences between the two Houses are certain to take place and it is regarded as certain that if the two or three discussions between managers appointed to represent each side fail to reach an agreement a deadlock will arise.

TO-DAY’S SITTING, POWER BOARD’S BILL PASSED.

Parliament Buildings, December 3 The Legislative Council met at 11 a.m. to-day. Tlie Electric Power Boards Amendment Bill was reported from the Statues Revision Committee with amendments and subsequently was put through its final stages and passed In reference to the clause empoweringg a board to susjxmd its sinking fund payments in certain cases. Sir Francis Bell explained that there was no cause for fears expressed in regard to the matter, the clause being on the same lines as that in ihe English Act. The Finance Bill was received from the House and put through the second reading and committee stage. Tile third reading debate was adjourned at 12.55 until 2.30