THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1893. POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2541, 12 August 1893, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1893. POLITICAL NOTES.

The Liquor Traffic question is monopolising a great deal of the Englishspeaking world’s attention at the present time. It is not coming so prominently to the front among any otjmr people, for the reason that no other people are so addicted to intemperance. In England it holds o position next in importance to Home Rule ; and in America great efforts are being put forward to restrict the traffic. The Municipal Council of San Francisco recently passed a law under which no licensee of a public house can employ women, or allow music to be played iu his premises. Tim fesujt is

that 2000 girls, who were employed in what is known as “dives,” have been thrown out of employment, and are holding indignation meetings to protest against being thus deprived of a way of earning a livelihood. They have their champions, too, and things are being made pretty warm for the Municipal Council.

The liquor question appears to be the all-absorbing one in our own Parliament at the present time. Sir Robert Stout carried his Bill into Committee the other evening, after a long struggle, but it was not there long before progress was reported. This does not mean that the Bill has been killed; it merely means that further consideration of it has been postponed until a future day. The cause of this postponement was that the Government in end to bring forward a Bill of their ow nj which the Premier says will embody moderate views, but will not satisfy the extremists on either side. There can be no doubt that the Premier has a very difficult game to play, and we are afraid be will not get out of it very satisfactorily. It is simply impossible to please both parties, and the man who attempts it will make a mistake. The Premier’s Bill is the third measure on the subject introduced this session. Sir Robert Stout’s Direct Yeto Bill was killed, and then he introduced his amendment of the present Act, which has been carried into Committee. Now the Premier is introducing his own Bill, but we do not yet know what it is.

From something which lias fallen from the Premier, however, we gather that he means that two-thirds of the people, instead of a bare majority, shall vote for closing up public-houses before they shall be closed. If so, no true Liberal can support such a proposal. We elect members of Parliament by a bare majority; the most important measures are passed into law by a bare majority, we are satisfied to be governed by a bare majority, and to introduce the principle of a two-thirds majority is reactionary and anti-democratic. That we could not accept on any account. If the liquor traffic must be propped up, let it be by plural voting, such as exists in our local elections. That is a principle already in existence, but the two-thirds majority would be an innovation which is extremely antagonistic to Liberal ideas. If two-thirds of the people must vote to close a public-house, why should a bare majority burst up largo estates, or elect members of Parliament, or make the most important laws? The Government of New Suuth Wales holds office by a majority of one, and thus the whole colony is now governed by a bare majority.

The new Railway Bill has made its appearance. There are to be throe Commissioners, as at present, and the Minister of Public Works is also to hold a seat on the Board. The Minister is to have a deliberative and a casting vote on all questions, but not the power to veto any of the actions of the Commissioners. In this respect the present Bill differs from last year’s measure, which gave the Minister the power to veto any of the actions of the Commissioners. For our own part we do not think the Bill goes far enough. Nothing would satisfy us which did not give the people, through their representatives in Parliament, supreme power, iho Hon. J. G. Ward ordered a free pass for a distinguished American who was travelling on official business recently, but the Commissioners refused it. This is a courtesy which is always extended to the representatives of other Governments. If a New Zealand Member of Parliament or anyone else connected with the Government goes to Australii he gels a free pass over the Australian railways, and it is rather humiliating for the New Zealand Government not to he in a position r.o return the compliment. The railways belong to the people, and the people ought to have a voice in their management.

A return of licenses granted during the year ended 30th June last has been laid before the House. There wore 1431 publicans’ licenses, 7 New Zealand wine licenses, 240 aocoommodation licenses, 56 bottle licenses, 61 packet licenses, 137 wholesale licenses, no information being (o regarding conditional licenses. The "llcensO fees paid to local bodies amounted to £00,209, The Premier says that if public-)'°use3 wore shut up ipany of the local bodies on +,^ie would have no revenue to go on

In answer to a question, the Government stated they purpose bringing in a Bill for the compulsory acquisition of land for settlement in Canterbury. This is part of a larger measure. Why not compulsory leasing if we are to have compulsion at all ?

The Premier told th* House the other day that he did not like to bring down his Public Works statement, because when certain hon. gentlemen had got all they could for their roads and bridges they might go home. Just hers an hon, member interjected: “ But we are to go within the month, ain’t we ?” To which the minister rejoined to the effect that, unless something happened which he did not expect to come off, members would remain in their places for some tiino $9 come.