Speculation Rife on Licensing Bill

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 216, 1 December 1927, Page 15

Speculation Rife on Licensing Bill

tfHAT WILL COUNCIL DO? drastic amendments {THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. Now that the Licensing Bill has passed all stages of the Lower House, speculation is free in the lobbies as to what will happen when the measure reaches the Council. Tboso who were responsible for passing the Bill foster the hope that the •Lords' will follow the lead of the House of Representatives and accept the Bill as an idication of the will of the people, but the Councillors have shown such an independent spirit during this session that no one knows which direction its decision will take. It is believed that the Council would be unwise to kill the Bill on the second reading stage because of the intense feeling throughout the country, yet some Councillors themselves believe that tho Bill will be so amended that when it emerges from the committee stage in the Upper House it will be unaccptablo to the other House. Much will depend upon this Bill as

to when the session will end, as representatives will have to wait for the return of the Licensing Bill before cleaning up its own work.

If the Council drastically amends the Pill and no agreement is possible, the Pill will have to be dropped. The Lower House goes on with the Arbitration Bill while the Licensing Bill goes to the other chamber, where the first reading will be taken to-day