The question of the bond-fide traveller privilege was introduced by Mr. Rogers (Swansea), who proposed that licensed victuallers urgently call upon the Government to redeem its wartime promise to restore this privilege. Mr. Rogers said, in the course of his speech: "I know you may twit me with the saying, "Taffy is a Welshman dnd Taffy is a thief.' (Laughter.) I resent that because the Welshman is as honest as anybody else, but I do admit that Taffy is as thirsty as anybody else. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) To whom are we to attribute the blame? (A Voice, Lloyd George.") Well, even if we Welshmen sent Lloyd George to Parliament we are not the only ones who have made a mistake. Nemesis has overtaken Lloyd George, as it does everybody who does not take a straight path. Lloyd George is now floundering in the backwash of insignificance, and serve him right. (Hear, hear.) He is suffering now for not keeping his promise. It is a lesson to future statesmen." The motion was carried.
It was decided to ask that legitimate licensed houses should be placed on the same footing as clubs as to hours of opening, &c.
On @ resolution appealing to the Home Sceeretary to make such changes as were necessary to cmpower licensing Justices to hear and determine applications as to permissive hours of opening at any meeting of the Justices specially convened for that purpose, Mr. Peacock (Ripon) said they wanted Parliament and not Magistrates to deal with this matter. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Drew (Brighton)—We, in Brighton, have not got a Stipen-
(Laughter.) We are told they know their business. Damn it, they don't know anything about it. (Laughter.) They don't know whether they have power to give three days or three years. The idea is to remove these old washerwoman and let Parliament give us proper hours.
Mr. Baxter (Birkenhead) moved as an amendment that in the opinion of the conference the hours of trading should be fixed by Jegislation, and this was carried.
Alderman William Coates was re-elected President of the League.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.