THE LICENSING BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 237, 3 November 1903, Page 2

THE LICENSING BILL.

PROTESTS FUOM THE OHUROHES. At the close of this morning service in the Qaeen-st'-cot Primitive Methodist Chuivh on Sunday, the Rev. John Nxou called attention to the Licensing Bill now bofore P n liimeat. A motion asking that the Bill bo withdrawn wis carrit-d almost unanimously, thj dissentients expressing the opinion that the matter, being more or less political, .mould not have been dealt with from the pulpit. j A*; the Whitsloy Church (W?sleyan) 'the Rev. J. N, Buttle spoke very strongly ngiicst the Bill, his remarks wv\% applauded. At church meetings, resolutions con demning the n«w Licensing Bill wer> passed at Feildinfj, Watiganui, Dunedin, Carterton, Ulidstone, L vorcaigii], Thuaru, Afihburtnn, and Chvistchurch. M»ny of the meetings simply askud l'oi its withdrawal till next session, some opposed to cartiin clauses, and others condemned it entirely.

MEETING AT WHITBLEY HALL. A public meeting held at White- ; ley Hall on Monday evening to protest 1 igii'ist the proposed interference with the popular control of the liquor traffic. Mr 0. E. B;-]lru>ger presided, the attendance bw'ng very fair. In opening the proceedings the Chairman, in a forcoful sppech, dwelt on the chief features of tha Bill, which, be considered, were of an objectionable nature. He considered that if they wanted Prohibition to be carried they must send to the House men they could trust. He chimed that nothing could assist the cohesion of the temperance 1 pirty more than the Bill now before the House, and therefor« they had that much to thank the Premier for. Mr Asber movfd that, while there nre some good poinds in the Bill, this meeting ia of opinion that it would unmoasureably pn judica the prospect* of temperanr.3 r. form, and restrict the

right of Chfl poepln to settle the question in all ivspacts at the polls. He argued thai-, the Bill was progress backwards, without reform. All tint was wanted was to prevent a repetition of the Newtown scandal. The Bill pletsed neither party. H« urged that, instead of trusting Mr Saddon, the Premier should trust the people. The Bill pur in the thin end of the wedge—drink--1 ing was to be made a crime—the time bit ween taking the polls was lengthened, and the Tourist Department was to hava the power of granting licenses. He adversely criticised the leading article in that day's Daily News, which he described as being worthy of tha place it came from.

1 Mr Aldridge contended the questiou belonged to the history of the colony, and th'tt they wanted freedom from the thraldom of the licensed traffic, popular control being an essential. He claimsd that the prohibitionists had got a majority of the voters on their side, and it was unfair that they should be 1 hampered by the necessity of a three fifths majority. Still, even with that, and givtn a fair field, they would fight and win, though the foo vas unscrupulous. All that was asked was the removal of all hindianceß to the will of the people being carried out. He considered the Premier, in his speech on the Bill, showed he was a man to be pitied. If Mr Saddon was trying to frama a measure satisfactory to the majority of tha paopln, then, as tho prohibitionists had pn.ved at tho pollt hat they were in the majority, the Biil should have been framed to satisfy them, It was evideut, however, that the Bill was framed to suit the moderates —the people who voted liquor every time—the people who were led by the brawers. What the trade demanded goodn u ss only knew, Hecon-fr-nded that if they agreed to a six years interval, they would barter away all the privileges they possessed, without gaining a single advantage. He strongly condemned the present monopoly, also the idea of giving a six years tenure for the expenditure of £3OOO. He urged the audience trise agaipst tin measure, arid work against tne traffic with all their might. (Loud applause). The motion was carried unanimously. Eev. W. R. Woo ley moved that thf provision in el »use 9, to make criminal the possession of liquor in privatehous a in no license districts, is an undue infrrfeivnco with personal liberty, i 8 unlogioil and undtnucra ic.

He said this clause was obviously passed ' to wnnken the temperance cause. Mr Seddon, the author of the clause, wat out-Heroding Herod. There was « disthurion between fighting the liquot traffic aud dictating to the people what they should eat and drink at thei* homes. It was preposterous to con ceive the paople suffering spies to pry into their teapots to sea if they contained brapdy. The clause was «n insult and an outrage to, the people. They were quite satisfied with the present] Act if ic were carried out. He hopad j thos j who opposed the measure would be prepared to sit till Easter to prevent ita passing j

Mr Christopher, in seconding the motion, quoted Adam Smith as an authority on the liberty of the subject. If the Government succeeded in pushing the Bill through tho House th-y would find they had over-reached the mark, and disaster to them would follow, He compared Mr Soddon to Sampson, and prophesied that when the P« mier went out to shake himself before the electors he would find his looks Bhoru and his strength gone. (Tumultous applause) The motion wns carried.

Rev. J. N. Butte moved: That any proposal which makes possible the ui.d -raining of the definite agreement to exclude liquor from the King Coun try is disgraceful to us as a civilised people and a stronger natioD. Ho looked upon the prosont as a crisis. He poiu'el putth<: King Omntr was, by a definite agreement between the Maoris and thu Government, a prohibited urea, and yet the Bill provided pnvcr to appoint a Commission to inquire whether that agreement should joistinue to nlrhough no request had come for this from tho Natives. He hope i the people would never con-

sent to getting round that agreement, even if meant, fighting the iniquitous proposal till Doomsday. Hn considered thai e wareotber rctroj-ra'sive proposals iu the Bill. He claimed that the great moderate party were the no license voters, and asked whether they were the people the measure was introduced to suibfy. If the Bill goi thr. ugh, the paoplo of the colony would m ik* the ! question the first and foremost one at the next olrotion. The effect of repealing the scct'cm of the Act which provides for reinstatement of voters who nad not f.xercised tueir pnvi'ege would be to bolster up the rolls. In cooclu- i .■don I e claimed a free and fair fight, (Applause,) Adjutant Parson?, in seconding the motion, pointed out the peculiar danger

.arising fiom the intensity of the , Maom, aiif 1 maintained th>tt the King Country was as much a prohibited digtiict as Glutha. Every downward step in the native race was traceible to liqnor. It whs time there was a man at the head o! affairs who had some Christianity in his constitution. He hoped chat from tie Cape to the Bluff temperance and christian people would i heir voicsi agiiuat the Bill and ni>k> ; Mr Seddon feel his looks were [shorn. (Appiause.) The motion wa-t carried.

M.' Neal inovid: That clause 14, e>iing with the constitution of the Lit:..using Committee, is reactionary <<d conservative, especially in the appoinaunt of Mayors and County chairmen, the admission of persons financially interested in the sale of ■ iquor, and the facility with which i luiidico'iul licences may be secured. II ■■ contended the proposal brought ,u:o municipil politics undesirable elements. Wi>y not put chairmen of other Boards on the Licensing CoraWas this trusting the ieop!e? It looked as if the Government, being unable to get publicans on Licensing Commit'ees by an electa e means, were resorting to the nominative principle. He also proagainst the power of grafting provisional licence . He criticised the •.uuet. of the alterations in the electoritec, contending that places where "no 1-cense" bad been carried were cut off from their moorings and put on to another distiiot. A fair field and no favour was all they banted. The motion was seconded by Mr Hal Gondacre and carried. On the motion of Rev. J. N, Buttls it \* as decided to forward a copy of the resolutions to the Premier and nrmber for the district. A vote of thanks to the County Council for their action in passing a esolution affiDSt the Bill was carrhd, ind acknowledged by Mr Okey, who explttiatd his views on the matter. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.