The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 20th., 1916. EARLY CLOSING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1592, 29 July 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 20th., 1916. EARLY CLOSING.

PARLIAMENT has decided, by 3d votes to 35, that the hours of (dosing liquor bars during the war shall remain as at present. The Trade is naturally delighted with the victory, which, if carried, would have had a very demoralising effect upon the liquor business. 'Die attempt to submit the question to a referendum was also, defeated by 2(i to 4-1. The “anti-shouting” clause was affirmed by 5(5 votes to 15. The weakness of Cabinet- in dealing with the question is pitiful. The agitation for early closing came from the people embodied in a petition represent ing 1(10,000 electors, "’his petition went before the Petitions Committee, which, alter taking evidence, was favourably reeommended to Parliament. This laid was ignored by Cabinet, whieb, according to Sir Joseph Ward, acted on a suggestion by Air Isitt that the Temperance Parly would he satisfied with legislation prohibiting “shouting.” Mr Isitt has been made the excuse for Cabinet's weakness. The National Government knew also that if the whole question were submitted to a referendum that early (dosing of liquor bars would have been carried by a three to one majority. Commenting on the subject, last night's Wellington Post says: —■ “The ‘anti-shonting 'clause, which represented almost the only concession to temperance reform in the Bill, was affirmed by 5(5 votes to 15 —a result which reliects with reasonable accuracy the opinion of the country. Bid public sentiment has declared al least as strongly for a limitation of the hours of sale, and this was ignored hy the Douse along with the considerations which created it. The extraordinary inconsistency of (he Government and the Douse was well illustrated by the speech of Sir Joseph Ward. He began well by insisting (hat the War Regulations Bill represented not licensing legislalion hut war legislation. But a fter submit ting this perfectly sound distinction to justify what was in the Bill, he entirely broke away from it in his quest for reasons against any instalment of reform that was not in the Bill. Sir Joseph Ward declined to vote for (5 o'clock or even !) o'clock closing, on the ground that it was the constituencies that should determine such an important issue. To grant Unit the early closing issue is the more important of the two is by no means to release Sir Joseph Ward from the cleft stick. Tto say that an issue which owes its importance entirely to the war, and in the opinion of its advocates has an intimate hearing upon the successful prosecution of the war, is too important to he decided hy unj lower authority than the electors at the polls, and at the same time not merely to refrain from giving the electors a special opportunity for voting on it but also to postpone their normal opportunity for so doing till after the war, is a singular position for a National Government, or indeed for any Government, to (tike up. (Such a position is a singular travesty alike of logic, of democracy, and of statesmanship. The doom of (5 o'clock closing had been sealed long ago. The hope of even a smaller curtailment had vanished when Sir Joseph Ward sat down. He declared that he would support no amendment that was not accept-

cd by the Minister in charge of the Rill on behalf of the Hovernment. That Minister’s attitude had boon declared on Iho second muling’ in a speech which betrayed an almost incredible misunderstanding of the position for a man so candid and so level-headed. To attack the movement for carlv closing during the war as though it were but another phase of the movement for total prohibition was a blunder entirely unworthy of Mr Herd man’s reputation. What alone made the demand for early closing formidable was dial it was supported on special grounds arising from the war by thousands of men and women who ha ve never voted for prohibition and are never likely to do so —unless, indeed, the resentment with which limy have been tilled by the action of the (lovernmont and the House is sustained and intensified by nnforseen eiretimslauces. The. vigour and I lie independence displayed by the true moderates on (Ids occasion should serve as a standing reminder to tin l extremists on hot It sides that (here is a powerful section of opinion not permanently allied with either of (hem. Though they both agree to ignore it, the balance of power is in its hands, and the power may at any time be exercised in a manner that may shader the most sanguine hopes of victory.”