THE LICENSING BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1918, Page 7

THE LICENSING BILL.

THROUGH THE HOUSE, " (From Our Own Correspondent.)' Wellington, Dec. 4. Only the leader o£ a National Government with a very compliant following could have got such a measure as the Licensing Bill through the House of Representatives as Sir. Massey did yesterday, in rather less than eight hours. The Bill was read a first time on Monday, distributed during the Afternoon, and made its first serious appearanco in the House after the luncheon adjournment yestefday. A number of members did not care to give a silent vote on the measure, as the phrase goes, usually in excuse of a certain amount of garrulity, but most of them were concise and to the point, and there was no attempt at deliberate obstruction. It was generally undersood in the lobbies that if there was any factious opposition to the Bill it would be Withdrawn for the present session, and proKablv the fear of being saddled with the responsibility of killing the measure restrained some of the nrdent partisans who would have liked to socmv all the advantages for their own side.

PROVISIONS OP THE BILL. The Bill provides for a special poll to be taken during the month of April in accordance with .the suggestion of the National Efficiency Board. The ballot paper at this poll will contain the two t lMues—national continuance and national prohibition with compensation—and the result will be determined bv a simple majority of the electors. The Bill as brought down provided that the amount of compensation should be fixed by a special Court set up for tho purpose and that the amount should be entirely at'the discretion of this tribunal; but a proposal bv Mr- Lee, the member for Oaninru, to limit the amount to the foiir and a-half million suggested by the Efficiency Board -was accepted by Mr. •Massey and embodied in the measure. Another amendment, moved by Mr. Wilkinson. the member for Egmo'nt. and ultima Mv carried by a maiority of one, was in the direction of maWnfr R o'cWlc closing the permanent law of the land.

FUTURE ISSUES. • | If national prohibition is carried at the special poll in April, it will take effect on June ilO. that is, only two months will elapse between the decision of .the electors and the cessation of the sale of -intoxicating liquors. If, on the other hand, national continuance is car-, ried, the ordinary licensing poll will be taken at tile next ensuing general election for the return of members of Parliament, iand the issues submitted, at the ballot will be national continuance, State purchase and control, and national prohibition, while the local option vote Will be omitted. The triennial polls on these issues will continue till the law h further amended, and each issue will Btand on its own merits, there being no provision for preferential voting. The carrying of State purchase anil control at any future poll would involve the equivalent of compensation, but the tarrying of national prohibition would be Without any payment to the trade.

A COMPROMISE. Of course, Ministers were twittea during the debate with having produced "a thing of compromises'' intended to "propitiate both parties'' and to • remove responsibility from their own shoulders." But though the Bill is . 'cessarily a matter of compromises, it must be said, in justice to Mr. Massev and Sir Joseph Ward, that thev expressed their own views quite frankly and without any desire to shirk responsibility. So far the prohibitionists appear to have got rather the best of the deal. They have secured the special poll cn a bare majority, with a limited compensation, and they have the House's confirmation .of 6 o'clock closing a? a permanent measure. Anywar, the officials of the New Zealand Alliance are not grumbling this morn■ng. The hurving of the three-fifths majority and of the four and a-half rears' 2T3ce to the trade renresents to them a great vi=tovv apart from anv other advantages they have obtained- . Thev evp?ct. however, the nf (1 n'clncl- closiifr to be challenged in the Legislative Council.