The Licensing Bill.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 205, 2 September 1904, Page 2

The Licensing Bill.

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE CONTENTION, (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 1. A meeting of the executive of Hm New Zmal&nd Alliance a number of friends was held this afternoon Co consider the Licensing Act Amend* ment llill. The following l official report of the .proceedings was communicated to the press ;

It was determined to oppose ths elimination of /ihe' reduction i«ue ; and to strenuously oppon clauses 9 and 10, which would submit to the popular vote tho question as to whether those should he penalised who ■, possess liquor in districts that have determined by vote to prohibit the tratlic in liquor within their borders, The proposal, tihe cooleretio# contended, lias nqver been nod* nor contemplated by the party in New Zealand, which in this matter lias kept in Step with tin prohibition forces in the British Empire and the United State*. It is advocated with an assumption of democratic principles, by ths liquor traffic only, whose official oi* gan has openly declared that fo was made for the sole purposs ol retarding the no-license movement. It was determined also to very strenuously oppose clauses 25 and 26, on the ground that the Stats control of the liquor traffic Ims not been asked for by cmy considerable section of the public, and If carried would inevitably prove a cob. rupting factor in the political lift of the colony and a source of demoralisation to the people, who would - of necessity participate in the prA fits wising from a traffic that del>ends for its existence on the vice! of the people. The convention held that no such proposal should in any case be submitted to the people without a clear and detailed statement of the measure of State control suggested, and the manna l in which it should be exercised. It alßo expressed its conviction that it would be simpler and more effective to submlt a national option to the decision of tho majority of: the electors of the colony. While recognising that the clauses (14 to 23 of the bill) dealing with disputed polls represent in several respects an improvement in the analogous provisions in the Local Elections Bill tlio conference strongly protested gainst tie inclusion of such clause* in the Licensing Bill, on tho ground that t&y relate to electoral machinery only and that the people's right to a fair poH should not be prejudiced by being mHt contingent upon , the passing of' a measure abounding in concessions to the traffic and in restrictions on the popular power to control it It was also resolvod to enter a strong protest against the introduction of liquor into the King Country on tho Cook Islands.