SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 October 1919, Page 3

SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING.

DOUBTS ABOUT THE LAW. WELLINGTON, Oct-. 24; Dr Newman, Wellington East’s memj bcr, "who is an ardent pl'ohi.bitionist, put a question to the Prime Mi.llisté“r to—day which was prompted by an un--easy feeling amonglhis friends that tho statuto which has made permanent the war provision of six o'clock closil:a_z of hotels is possibly invalid. Sonle loading legal authorities believe that

the provision could be upset if con-te:-.ted in the courts. Their ground of contention is. that the cla.use making early closing permanent is irrelevant to the title of the ‘Act in which it appears. This, they assert, would cause it to be invalid. Certainly the statutciy course of early closing has been tortuous and difficult to trace. It is first to be found ill the Sale of Liquor Restrictions Act, 1917, which, according to Clause 12, “Shall remain in force during the continuance of the

present. war with Germany, and for six months thereafter, and no longer:"’ Tlzougwh the title of Act in which this appears was the “Sale of Liquor Restrictions Act,” its subsequent course has to be traced in the Licon-sing Amendment Act, 1918, where a. twoline clause repeals the limitation of tile, imposed in clause 12 quoted above. 'Thel‘e is a. difference of opinion among lawyers as to whether this method of legislation can be regarded as valid, and some members believed the ernment might wish to mak sure of the position by re-enacting the brief olrmse of the 1918 Act unrler the same title as the original Act, but Mr M»:.~.s-set-,v’s answer to Dr Newn:-an to—dn,v was there would be no amendment of the Licensing Act this season “so far as I knowj’