A BILL INTRODUCED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 28

A BILL INTRODUCED.

COMPULSORY REDUCTION PROPOSED. LONDON, February 28.

In the House of Commons Mr Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced a comprehensive Licensing Bill based to some extent on the minority report of Lord Peel's Commission. The bill comprises an immediate and progressive reduction of facilities for the sale of intoxicants on the retail side. The State will gradually and with due regard to existing interests recover dominion over a monopoly which has been improviderutly allowed to escape its control. Some reports state that Mr Asquith's Bill is likely to extend the license to 14 years and to make other concessions. A protracted struggle in committee is anticipated. Mr Asquith said he considered tha* it was contrary to public policy to encourage tied houses. In sucli oases the bill fixes the annual value, being the difference between the value returned for income tax purposes and the value of the premises if unlicensed. The latter wilj be estimated by the commissioftens of the Inland Revenue Department. After 14 years' monopoly the value o! all licenses will bo restored to the com* munity end local option will follow. Meanwhile parochial electors are to exercise a local vote in connection with ftetjr licenses, each vote being binding for three years. Ctybs must register annually, so aa to afford an opportunity for objections t$ fes

considered. PdKce officials not in uniform may inspect clubs. The bill fixes the limit for a bona fide I traveller at six miles. The bill also confers local option in Wales, extends the Welsh closing policy to Monmouthshire, and does not allow chil-"' dren to enter a licensed bar. The Temperance members oi the House of Commons cheered as Mr Asquith questioned the existence of a legal right of property in licenses, but were silent wihen he remarked that there had grown up outside of the law interests which statesmen were unable to ignore. The bill proposes a compulsory reduction in the number of licenses during the time limit of compensation. — namely, 14 years, — and during that period will suppress 32,000, or one-third of the whole. It fixes the maximum number of lioenses according to the density of population, and greatly reduces thf scale of compensation. The bill establishes a Central Licensing Commission. The compensation fund area of levy on the licensing trade will cover the whole of England and Wales. The amount of compensat/ion,. will be such as to suffice, with interest ait the rate of 4 per cent., to purchase an immediate annuity for the unexpired years of the reduction period. The OommiesioneTe of th-e Inland Revenue Department will add what they consider to be a just oompensaition to license-holders for the loss of business. There is fierce criticism of the bill in the licensing trade. l\hey declare it to be sheer robbery. The Nonconformists and temperance advocates applaud the bill. The brewery share market is paralysed, and other investments are affected. March 2. The brewers and publicans are raising £100,000 in order to conduct a great campaign against the Licensing Bill.