Bishop Julius on the Licensing Bill.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6825, 16 October 1900, Page 2

Bishop Julius on the Licensing Bill.

Bishop .Julius was at Bishopscourt when a representative of the Canterbury Press called, and courteously consented to undergo the ordeal of cross-examina-tion. He did not know the full contents of the Bill, but he had read the summary.

Had he noticed the proposal to substitute provisional for local option ? "Ob, yes." And his opinion on it. "Yes, he had an opinion." " I think that as against local option, which will give prohibition a bettor chance of being tried on its merits. That is," with a smile, " if it ever has a chance of boing carried."

" Do you think its chance is improved by the change ?

" I should think its chauco of being carried >s probably made more remote."

" What about enforcing provincial prohibition?" queried the inquisitor. " Do you think it would be more, or less, easily enforced than local prohibition '?'

"I don't think it would be as easy to enforce. I take it that the weakness of prohibition is that you cannot enforce it in any particular locality where a majority or a very large percentage of the people are opposed to it. For instance, supposing tho country carried prohibition as against the town. Or take another case. Take the province of Canterbury. Supposing prohibition was carried owing to South Canterbury yoting solid and being assisted by a minority in North Canterbury. It would be a very difficult thing to enforce prohibition among the majority opposed to it in North Cantorbury. Furthermore," his Lordship added, " when you have won a district in which prohibition is carried, surrounded by non-prohibited districts, it is almost impossible to keep Jiquor out." Asked as to whether ho had considered any other effect of the Hill, Bishop Julius briefly responded in the affirmative.

"Yes. I'JI tell you what I think about the Bill, or such of it as I have s^en, in other respects. I think that tho opportunity given of deciding that the vote on the (question of prohibition shall be takon every six instead of every three years will be very valuable. I doubt whether the triennial disturbances gives any welldisposed publican a proper chance. His position is never safe. 1 don't think tho present position is fair to him or good for the country."

"And what about the issues to be sub mittod on the ballot papers ?"

" I feel very keenly the injustico of the form of local option that does not allow one to express one's mind," continued his Lordship, warming to the subject. "I, and many with me, do not want prohibition, but arc driven to voto 'no license' because we cannot conscientiously vote for a continuance of the present system. And now our case is made harder, for we have not the opportunity of voting tor reduction. Whoover the Bill may satisfy, it does not satisfy men who think with mo that jtoto control is the best remedy one caiPp'id for the existing condition of things."

On the details of the Bill the Bishop did not care to dwell at any length until he had seen the measure itself. He, however, expressed tho opinion that no amendment of the law could be satisfactory that did not provide for penalising the house as well as tho liceuseo for the time being for breaches of the law. Frequently the licensee was but tho creature of the proprietor, and the effect of tho penalty was minimised by il. merely resulting in a change of licensees. If the penalty were placed on tho house as well as on the licensee, an improved, class of hotelkecpcrs would result, and, in consequence, fewer breaches of the? law.