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Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1917, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES. (Our Special Correspondent) SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. .ACCLPTLI) BY TI-IK HOUSE. WKi.Lixt.iTOX, Sept 21, Forty-four to twenty-six! Not the most sanguine of the “six o’elockers” in the House expected their proposal for the restriction ol hotel hours to be carried by such a thumping majority as this. A few of them, not more than three or four, had hopes of it getting through by a narrow margin, but they were the extreme optimists of the party and their fellows looked for nothing better than a compromise at seven o’clock On the other- side quiet confidence prevailed. The fact that eight o’clock appeared in the Government’s Bill and the knowledge that' it would be supported by seven of the ten Ministers now sitting in the representative chamber were relied upon to keep the wavereis in line and on Wednesday night the popular prediction was a majority'of two or three for the less drastic proposal. A CHAN OK IN THK HAKOMKTKU. There arc conflicting stories as to just what happened between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but it was obvious when the House re-assembled yesterday afternoon that the prospects of the “six o’cloekers” had materially improved. Among other tilings it was whispered about that if eight o’clock were deleted from the Bill Mr Massey would take tip six o’clock as the Government proposal and push it through with all the influence he could command short of exercising personal or party pressure. Whether this was intended as a threat to the one party or as an encouragement to the other was not quite plain, but in the end it certainly had the effect of bringing a clear cut issue to a speedy settlement. There was no superfluous talking and no disposition to delay the passage of the measure. Members all seemed anxious to get it out of the way in one shape or another as quickly as possible. KIGIIT O’CLOCK GOKS. Directly the short title of the Bi ll had been passed Mr G. J. Anderson moved that eight o'clock, specified as the closing- hour of hotel bars, should be struck out of the body of the .measure. There was no debate on the question and on going to a division the motion of the member for Mataura was carried by iortv-onc to twenty-eight, Mr Jen ■ nings pairing ior the retention of eight o’clock and Sir John Findlay against, thus bringing the votingstrength of the House up to seventv-one, within nine of its full number. The absentees from the division list were Sir F. W. Lang, the Speaker, Mr Malcolm, the Chairman of Committee, Mr Hine, Mr Coates and Mr Seddon, away at the front, Mr Wilford, engaged in an important law case, Mr W. D. Stewart, undergoing hospital treatment, and Mr Ngata, suffering from indisposition. A fuller vote has rarely been recorded in the House. six o’clock comics. It was expected by several of the members who voted against eight o’clock that they would have an opportunity to choose between six o’clock and some later hour, but directly the result of the division was announced Air Massey justified the rumours that had been in circulation earlier in the day by proposing “on behalf of the Government ’’ that six o'clock should be the closing hour.

At the same time the Prime Minister stated that lie was “ firmly impressed with the idea ” that something must be done on the lines proposed by the Eflicien'cy Board, meaning', it was assumed, that the question of prohibition during the course of the war, with compensation, would have to Ire submitted to the electors. This settled the matter. After Sir Joseph Ward had expressed his agreement with the proposals ol the Efficiency Board and directed the attention of the House to the gravity of the financial questions involved, the amendment to six o’clock was carried b_v fort\ - one to twenty-six, with Sir I’indlay and Mr Jennings again pairing, and the Bill "encountered no further opposition. noetic optniox. Of course there are honest differences of opinion as to the wisdom of the experiment to which the House has practically committed the country, but speaking geneially the public is well disposed towards the earlier closing of the hotels. Whether eight o’clock would, ha\c been a better hour than six o’clock is still a moot question, and whether the intention of the law can be enforced is another, but it is something for Parliament to have faced the problem free from party ties and with the broad outlook which concerns itself only with the welfare of the people of the Domin ion and the special duty they owe just now to the vastly wider and bigger community of the Empire.

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