THE PROHIBITIONIST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4026, 3 February 1892, Page 3

THE PROHIBITIONIST.

PuMiiM by the courtesy of the Editor of I lfairariiptißid 1 !/ under the auspices of the New Zealand Alliance for the prohibitim of theliquor traffic, Masterton Auxilhri/. JVhen ratepayers demand the entire extinction oj all places for the sak of liquors'heir prayer should be granted, —Charles Buxton, Brewer. [Communications tor this column must bo addressed to " Tho Prohibitionist," care of Editor of Wairakafa Daily,l PROPOSALS FOK AN ALCOHOLIC VETO ACT. The Rev, Edward Walker, organising agent of the New Zealand Alliance, favours us with the following outline of what he considors should be the principal provisions of tin Alcoholic Liquors People's Local Veto Act: 1. For the purposes of the local veto poll, each county, including the boroughs within its outer geographi • caljboundary, shall constitute one dis-

trict; and each detached borough and each group of contiguous boroughs not included within tho outer geographioalf boundary of any county shall constitute ono district by ballot, 2. The voting shall be by ballot on the simple issue—licenses, or no licenses.

3, The voting to he taken tricnnially, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the last Monday in January of tho year preceding the year in which the triennial election ot licensing committees is bold—the vote to have effect from the first day of July, inclusive, of the year alter that in which it is taken, thus giving seventeen months notice of tho local extinction of the liquor traffic. The first poll under the Act to be taken in every distriot in Jan uary, 1808. 4, All persons who were qualified to vote at the last preceding Parliamentary general eleotion should be qualified to vote at the triennial local veto ballot, The roll of electors for the last preceding Parliamentary general election shall be deemed complete and correct for the purpose of the local veto poll. 5. A pollingplace slnll be provided on the premises of every State school, and wherever else in the judgment of the Eeturning Officer for the distriot the public convenience requires, But no polling place shall be upon premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors. The polling day shall be a State school holiday, and State school teachers, if willing, shall be eligible for employment upon the ballot on that day. The sale or delivery of intoxicating liquors by licensees or by others on their behalf on that d\v shall be unlawful, 6. At least six dear weeks notice of the poll shall bo given by the Returning Officer by advertisement in three newspaper* circulating iu the district, and shall be posted in a conspiouous place on every State school and Post Office, and be kept so posted until the poll closes. No ballot box shall be opened till the poll is over, The result, as soon as known, shall be posted in every Court house in the distriot,

7. The poll not to be annulled by reason of any undersigned informality discovered too late for rectification. 8. Where the major part oE the votes are for "no licenses," the poll shall not be taken on any subsequent triennial balloting day, unless a petition for it signed by one-third of the adult residents has been presented on or before the last day of the preced" ing September, but shall be final; nor shall the poll of ratepayers be taken provided for in sections 45-54 of the Licensing Act, 1881. 9. Where the majority of votes polled is for" no licenses" the powers of the existing licensing committees shall be continued until and shall expire on the 80th June of the following year, and no new committeo bo oleoted. Also all licenses of every description for the sale of intoxicating beverages in the district on the samo date.

10, Where the majority of the votes polled is for 11 no licenses," every description of sale of alcoholic liquors, except by legally qualified persons for certified legal necessary uses, other than as beverages, shall be unlawful, including sales beyond the control of licensing committees, such as at railway bars, clubs, by auctioneers, wholesale merchants, those selling alcoholic products of Now Zealand grown fruits, etc,, etc,

11, No license outside a " no licenses." district, nor any person .who brews or makes slcoholic liquors out« side or witbin such \ district sball deliver or consign, or cause to be delivered or conaigued, except as provided in clause 10, alcoholic liquors to any person witbin euob a district. No debt for any liquor so supplied sball be legally recoverable. All such liquor sball be forfeited to the Customs and Excise Department, 12, Outside "no.licenses" districts no new license sball bo granted within too miles of the boundary of such (listriot, nor sball any existing license be transferred to any place within two miles of the said boundary, 18. Within 11 no license" districts a system of registration of i houses for public' accommodation sliall como into force, by which 'upon payment.of the prescribed registration fee, the local police superintendent, or his deputy, shall register tbe house of any ocoupier who, with the consent of the owner applies for registration, upon condition that the house meets the requirements of the Licensing' Act for licensing'purposes of bouses similarly

looated, shall [be subject to. police inspection, maintained in a satisfactory state, and tho house and occu" pier shall fulfil all the obligations of licensed houses and licensees, except in respect of selliug alcoholic liquors, Such houses shall bo designated " Registered Hotels," and noilo but suoh shall be perinittedto be so advertised. The annual registration fee 111 boroughs shall bo £lO, £2O, i.lO, and >'4o, and o'sowhore £5, £lO, £ls, and £2O, according as the fixed charge for ordinary accommodation per diem is d.i, 6s, Bs, or over, These fees shall be paid over to tho local governing bodies within whose boundaries the registered houses are respectively situated, 14. The penalty for any first offence under the Act to bo o line not exceeding £5, or in default twenty-four hours imprisonment; for any second offence a fine of not less than IB nor more than £2O, or in dofault onoweek's imprisonment, for any sulnequont offenco one month's imprisonment, provided that no number of simultaneously inflicted non-coneurrent sentences shall involve imprisonment for more than one year. 18, The Police Department toadminister find enforce the Act, and the Police Superintendent for tho district to make the necessary appointments from his staff or otherwise for taking the poll and himself or his deputy to be the returning officer; or, failing a Polico Superintendent for the particular area of country, then an appointee of the Police Department, 16. The provisions of any other Act or Acts affeoting the sale of alcoholic liquors to be read subject to the provisions of tho Alcoholio Liquors People's Local Veto Act,