LICENSING LEGISLATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 240, 16 November 1909, Page 4

LICENSING LEGISLATION.

Tu llie Kditor. Kindly allow me a few word-' on that. part of your leader of Friday where >on deal will) ihc alii'Vc. ami whirl) uni "The Wan! Policy." Ih i Im* lirM place, ii' I know anything ol the prill; i'ji!e-i jjovcrninj; the New /.ealaud Alliance, it is a great mislake lo think tiiat Ihe present proposals will "iMij-e and fur all put an end to \iu M-emiugly iitleriiiinahle light for prin- - alwav> Mood. and -till stands for having liie i|ii«Mioii of the -.ale of intoxicants M'lllcd Uy ilie -ample majority vole. The proposal of ilw moment that ."».*» pel' cent, 'hall !»■ accepted in I'u• u of the no pet cent, now required l»y law, i> onl\ j.' yarded* a.- an instalment, toward- t'i. Jinai -ettlejiieiil. of I lie -.iuiplc ifiajojil«. A t| tie-ti<m is never sl*-<l until il iright. and you. Sir. as ueil a- : flic Premier and lir. Kimllav, who an* |iiidu-t rionsly r-eeking I<» an'i\e at a nto.lt;- vUcndi between the temperance fortr- and the liijnor trade, must adtnii (hat the true liertwng anlhorily i- thv people. and their «leci>ion .an only btruly expressed M- n simple majoriiv. JJo wr \ cr. I hi«> i-'a move in the right di rectiun: Util. lei no one dream thai il final Jll reading over liie terji!-. of tie proposed ameinlmenis tu the ii.-en-in;. laws ih M-em< that l,he gains are maim uil iliu s»idi- of liie iicjuor trade, in thai they get from two lo li\c year- a-amv trading after Hie people have declare, ttgaiivsti tliciu: ami that with a hraw handicap, In ad fairness it nui-t in conceded Unit in the ease of Dominion Ko-LicoilSe being carried al the polls, i: time should he allowed for liie tuiveni menfc to re-arrange i,he country's linan ccs, niid also for t-he merchants to appose of their .stock- on iuind and undo order; yet to ino-t outsiders il that three year- would be ample turn' for all that, and live yeais is altogether too rouuh. Jn I in- <a*e how aer of l'-r local jio-Jieense proposal being i.a''''ied what reason can there lie for cxtmdin.u tJie time from what it now is, >eveu months, to two years? it is, |! suppo.-.e. compensation—or. what looks JiUe it.

TJiu trade litis for Hie last. IS yearbeen without any ehiini or right to il beyond the seve tin above referred to and cannot reasonably ex.peel. if. Jlui thea-o, is another serious objeetion to tin; proposed altera I ion of the time. When the closiim of the bars, bv virtue Of the. -vote of the eleetors. should lake place. .Now, the ■abolition of the undo iu liquor in any electorate lakes place in midwinter, a • jll■«■ 1 lime of the year, when tho demand lor liquors will be at its normal, and therefore a much more suitable for effecting die ohaiigo (ban near midsummer mid on tie- ne of kbo holiilav season, as il would bo if two vein's from the poll wallie lime lived, furl her, this extension will bring tho lime of the eliange 100 near the next polling dav; and electorwill be cillod "II to' decide the import am ,|nesiiiui of -110-tni !'■■■: or N'on Ke-tol-.lion will, onlv i-i-v liiiiitod ev perii-nee of the oiled-' of .Yo-l.ieeii-o ii; their di-lriet. The man w.bo Oi:w missed bis bandy bar will nnl have got ..vei the ineonvellieuee. as lie deems il. .of Hie eliamie: and a l-o Ihe timid, eollser valive advocate of femporanee .will iiol see all (he benclil, bo expected all at oiu-e. ami mac ha.-tilv eomiiide thai the now .system is .a failure: whereas, had bo the beiiolit, of Iwo or three years experience and time to settle down. Inwould be quile satisfied. This' is to my mind, the ebief objection to extending the time for -even months. The quest ion- of Domini • local option are dilVorenl. The seven moulds now allowed for eloim< down ill the eleolorate is ample: il i- -nlVhien' lime for Ihe retailor- lo di-p..-,. „r choir -i.«•!,-. and liml ..'. lu-r ■'ling- I'-r I le-ir energy and oa.piial. especially when Vi- remember that Ihe,have had a disiinel warning for main year-' ]ia-l. thai this mighl linppo,, lo 1-hei.r trade. I'.ut if it bo Uioul'lil thai some sola I ion musl be granted ihem then, for the above reasons lei it he only \eai- more llian at present: or nineteen uouitbs in all from the date of the poll, -f am. etc., I UT.O. H. MACNDF.II. 1