Views on the Licensing Bill

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1083, 2 September 1904, Page 2

Views on the Licensing Bill

Prohibition Conference Strenuous Opposition to Important Clauses Bj Telegraph.—Prew Aieooiatioo. Wellington, this day. At a mooting of tho Executive pf the Now . Zealand Alliance and a number of friends, i to consider tho Licensing Bill, it was Jeterminod to opposo the oliruinatiau df tho re. dttction issue, and it was resolved to strenuously opposo clauses 9 and 10, which would submit to tho popular voto the quostion as to who would possess liquor in districts that havo determined by voto to prohibit tho trallic in liquor within thoir borders, Tho proposal had nover boon mado or contemplated by the prohibition patty of Now Zealand. It was delorminod also to very strawot'sly op poso clausos 25 and 26 on tho ground that State control of tho liquor tiatlic has not boon askod for by any considerable section of tho public, and that if carried it would inevitably prove a corrupting factor in tho political lifo of tho Colony, and demoralising to llio pooplo, who would of necessity participate in tho profits arising from a traffic that depends for its cxishncoo'i tho vices of tho people. Tho Convention hold that no such proposal should i.i any c*so bo submitted to tho pooplo without a clear and detailod statement of tho measure of State control suggested, and the manner in which it should bo oxorcised,

It also expressed its conviclioi) that it would be aiuiplor and moro ofl'ectivo to suimiit the national option proposal to tho decision of tho majority of tho doctors of the colony, While recognising that clausos 12 to 14 of the Bill, dealing with disputed polls, roprcscnt in several respects tin improvement on the analogous provisions in tho Local Elections Bill, tho conference strongly protests against tho inclusion of such clauses in tho Licensing Bill, on tho ground that they reliito to electoral machinery only, and that tho people's light to a fair poll aliould not ho prejudiced by being inadnontingrnt upon the passing of a measure abounding m concessions to iho traffic and in restrictions on tho popular I powor to controljit.