The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18. LICENSING LEGISLATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 242, 18 November 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18. LICENSING LEGISLATION.

The licensing question is again a subject for legislative strife, and compared with it, in the minds of many zealous, such great national questions as those of land settlement and defence are not considered worthy of notice. As we have already indicated, we view the spirit of fairness and mutual concession upon which the Uoveninicnt has been enabled lo frame iU' proposals as extremely satisfactory. Pending the actual eircuatiou of the Bill, however, only the outline of its suggested provisions, as indicated in the Budget, is available for consideration. Siilucient is therein apparent to show that an earnest effort has been

made to meet current public opiuioa. iliat the iiueicsis ol ue no-iiccnse

party were ably represented in arriving at. a compromise is very evident iroin Die very considerable concessions secured, but it was only to be expected li»ut there should be tiiose whose enthusiasm would lead them to repudiate the actious oi their ouieial representatives. \\ ncLher | ii be wise or not that this unsettling i pnuiic ijiu'.iuou >Uould be ueculeu on a uarc iiKijOill\, puuhc opinion i» certainly not upc »o LApui it. We decline to auept mc uiciUut oi the extremists ou cituer siuu, ana reiy on the matured 1 juugmeiiL et me great mass ol the elect- , ors as to wnat is in the best interests ! uj. the community as a wnole. Opinions 1 may diliei: as to the elteet the carrying oi prohibition may have oil public opinion: whv'uier it will be accepted us a national blessing, or as a state ol things irom wiucii to escape at tiie earliest opportunity. itiere is, we say, a wide field ior conjectural exploitation on the point, upon which, however, we are not ras'ti enough to express an opinion. That it would be economically disastrous and morally unsettling to lix a marginal majority the operation oi which might result in a periodical see-sawing irom license to prohibition noue can ucny. We contend, therefore, that a margin should ue lixed such as will reduce such a possibility to a minimum, and it seems to lis uul the 3 per cent, majority proposed by the lio\eminent reasonably fuilils that requirement. If, as many aver, national prohibition is assuredly coming, ilie reduction of the majority irom GO to •).} per cent. 111114 reduce the period ot waning. As compared with the bare .Majority, the security of the prohibition .?iu will In' relatively greater than were uhe issue ueciued by dimple majority. 1 1 or all parties a margin ensuring some aicasuFe uf stability is desirable, and should be apparent to anyone whose judgment is not warped by over-indul-gence in a single whim. In welcoming .»oiue iorm ol compensation for loss oi iiei'ii>e we cannot be accused oi inconiM*cucy, for it has always been our contention LhaL lhe conceding of such would bo out ail element ot justice such as would >caicely bv denied in any other country, if it is light and lair that time shouid oe allowed after lhe carrying of no.Kcnsc, in the case of Dominion option, .eiore the new condition of all'airs &'huli operate, ii is equally right and fair -uit a proportional concession be made .11 the case oi local no-license. The fact that uiuter the existing Jaw, wliich has uecn in operation ior 15 years, only six or seven months'' grace has been allowed dispossessed licensees to quit, does not prove Unit the law is just. We have never altered our view that forcible-disposses-sion without some measure of compensation was not in accord with the much vaunted British square-dealing. It may be strictiy correct, but it is none the iesa morally an argument of sophistry and * subterfuge, to rely 011 the fact that be-: cause licenses are granted only from year to year, nothing unjust is* perpetrated when licenses are arbitrarily ea'lcalled without sonic consideration being extended to vested interests. The clearing out of stocks* is but a circumstance, and were such the only claim of publicans for consideration, any question of special consideration would scarcely bj debatable.\ But the time required to lind new avenues wnerein existing costly buildings might be prolitably employed is another matter, and under the present conditions involves considerable loss. Wlfetlier two years is longer than jS necessary we are not prepared to say, but we regard it as distinctly creditable lo the sanitv of the new proposals that due considerations of fair treatment have actuated the framers. We believe that as soon as vested interests are aflorded some reasonable protection, half of the bitterness will at once disappear from the triennial local option battle, and the day will not be delayed when the people will have the opportunity of judging whether or not prohibition is all that, is claimed for it. We regard ilie proposals of the Government as a triumph for the Moderates, who can claim to view this question dispassionately, and as it should be viewed and settled. The proposed banishment of He; I Reduction vote from t.he issue is, we believe, in accord with tlu» b.ilk of public opinion. As an aid to ridding the' public and the trade of objectionable hoiwes. particularly in the cities, '"Reduction" | perhaps served some purpose, but its I period of usefulness has passed, and it I should be a relief to know that such I has been recognised. While probably ex-1 Iremists will still fight for greater con- | cessions, we are hopeful that the practi- I, "a! proposals outlined will be found on j { the .Statutes of the present Parliament. |,