LICENSING QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9153, 28 July 1908, Page 5

LICENSING QUESTION.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER.

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE'S PROPOSALS.

BY TELEGRAPH—PBEBS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, July 27. A deputation from the New Zealand Alliance waited on the Premier to-day. The deputation asked for legislation securing that licensing polls be decided by a bare majority. They also wanted Dominion option c breweries to come under the popular vote, abolition of bottle licenser, licensing polls to bo taken whether there is a Parliamentary cc"'e;t ?r not, teaching of in public schools, abolition of licenses to steamers controlled by the Tourist Department, and stricter punishment of aly grog sellers. Sir Joseph Waid, in reply, said that no licensing legislation would be introduced this session for the obvious reason that he was quite certain he could not get it through. ( Numberless amendments would be ( asked for in other directions in the 'e-ent'Of a Licensing Bill . being brought down, and it would be hopeless to try to get it through. As to the bare majority he thought they might first be unanimous on the subject. He had already had very strong representations en the subject frcm people who were on the side cf the temperance reform, and yec' who were strongly opposed to it. hj: regard to the request for a Dominitn vote he could r.ot express an opinion at the moment. It was a very important matter, and it could not'eoroe I before Parliament in any case this {session. Referring 'to beer depots, he said ghQuJd, perfcul/ i bo done to" mwht what had, hM>* pencd in the case of Invercargill. He was prepared, to consider whit vvould be the be 4 course to adopt,' but could not say that the neccrsari ' steps could be taken this sesmu.i. in regard to bottle licenses his o»vr> opinion was that Parliament intended when no-license was carrieJ th<n bottle"]* -*WW should cease to exis>t. Anything W >V.ermr.ent could do to (remedy the present " d^ things would be done. Tern,. --- teaching in school ought to'be car ried" ifct That'vr:..?'nil he cculd sfy about it. The pTovidon u. poll of half tha voters he would like to see abolished. It was orlgini slly embodied in the Act to ensure a sufficiently strong vote on What | Waß admittedly a very big and impor- : iafifc question. In regard to sly grogs?eftin# the law ought to ho made effective". Where no-license was carried the intention was that liquor should not be sold, and the intensions of the people should be carried out absolutely. Apparently fines were npt effective, and he ' was quite pripared to ask his colleagues if they would go any further. As to tourist licenses he fully sympathised with the sentimental side of their request that the Government should not have licensed institutions either in th'e ! shape of steamer or tourist licenses, but if they did not carry no-license in | those districts they would have to do what he was strongly opposed to doing, on the Wakatipu steamers, for instance, allow people to take liquor on board in any quantity, and consume it there.