LICENSING QUESTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 January 1928, Page 1

LICENSING QUESTION.

COMPROMISE: RUMOUR DENIED. WELLINGTON, Jan. 7. 'Whether the licensing question is reopened by the calling of a special caucus of the Reform Party in the Parliamentary recess, as the Prime Minister has declared it may he necessary to do, the subject is sure to bo warmly debated again next session if the Bill is introduced as it left the

House last- session. In the meantime, efforts are understood to be in train with a view to securing a modification of the attitude of those members of the House who have fought so strongly for the prohibition cause.

deavours to influence the prohibition movement in Auckland and in 'Wellington are said to be making endeavours influence the prohibition supporters, especially tlie majority in tlie ranks of the Reform Party, so that a. middle course, may he steered, and an agreement reached which will satisfy both sides.

It is not clear how far negotiations have proceeded, but as the dominating prohibition faction in the Reform Parly is pledged to the hilt to the New Zealand Alliance, those members could not change their attitude unless they broke their pledge. A change in the policy of the ATTianee, for the present, at any rate, seems a remote possibility. When inquiries were made of the New Zealiand Alliance to-day if there was any ground for the rumours that a compromise had been reached on the Licensing Amendment Bill, the reply of Mr .1. M. Murray, the secretary wa.s distinctly in tho negative. He said that, if any change in the attitude of the. Alliance had lveon decided upon, it jvould have been announced immediately to the public, for flic policy of the Alliance was to place all its cards on the table. The Alliiance, lie declared emphatically, "stood pat” upon the platform it had fought for last session, a- fundamental plank of which was the hare majority issue, and there could lie no change in that policy until the annual conference of the Alliance in May or thereabouts.

It was not a matter of expediency, said Air Murray. The Alliance was standing for a principle, and it intended to stand solidly where it was until it gained its objective—National Prohibition.

Mr Murray said that, as the policy had been determined by the annual conference, the Alliance could not lie influenced by negotiations which .might be set afoot by members of Parliament or others who had the cause of Prohibition at heart and wished to see some mollification of the present policy brought about.

If the Reform members of Parliament who have made pledges to the Alliance adhere as strongly to their commitments as they did last session, there appears to he as little likelihood of their being influenced towards a compromise as there is of persuading the Alliance to change its policy, so Hint the position is still one of stalemate.

On tho other hand, there may he some members who are not hound absolutely to the Alliance, and with whom a reasonable compromise may he effected. As far as can he gathered, however, no definite progress has been made in that direction.

No direct suggestions have yet boon made by the Prime Alinister for the caucus which he said if might he necessary fo call for the purpose of discussing the matter further, and local Reformers declare that they have not heard anything further than Mr Coates’s intimation that such a meeting might he necessary. The opinion is held by some that it would be useless to call a special meeting of the caucus in the recess in order to discuss a subject such as the licensing issue, for it would have no result. As Air Coates remarked when ho made his reply to the last Prohibition wing deputation. "It is a time for calm thinking.”