Page 4 Advertisements Column 2

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 228, 24 September 1918, Page 4

A FURTHER OPEN LETTER TO MR. A. S. BANKART, Sir,-^ I thank you for jonr repbj. A fair summary of it seems to give the following results:— L Yon sincerely desire to "anccrtsiu the trnc convictions of the people." 2. Ton consider that it is "an honest attempt to ascertain the wish of the majority" if yon groap the two issues of Oontlnoance and State Control against the one issue of Prohibition, for yon say therp Is really only one Issue, namely, "Retention v. Abolition." 3. You suggest that if Prohibition is defeated Parliament could "seek some method of enabling the majority to come together" t.o decide what form of Continuaucp ehould be established. 4. Yon object to the inclusion of the Issue of PROHIBITION WITHOUT COMPENSATION as "manifestly unfair and inequitable," l>pcani?o your 'Trade* , has bo**n "cnrrled on for many years with the full sanction of the law." May 1 :isk you I ho following questions:— 1. if you are content to nave one straight issue of Heteutiou versus Abolition, what Iβ wrong with the 'Efficiency Honrd Proposal? it is Abolition with very material advantages to your "Trade." If It were rejected Continuance remain*, and yon could still ask '•Parliament to seek Borne method of enabling (he majority to come together" to decide what form of Continnnuri' should obtain. If, on the other hand, it is a matter that where the majority is made up of two main sections differing in important particulars 'Turliamerit" shouiil bring tbo majority iogetlior "to ascertain their true convictions," I enn assure you !hat in the event of the Kfflciency P.uard Proposal being carried, we tihoulci be de'lghted to adopt your proposal and ask Parliament to discover whethur Abolition should be without Compensation or with It. Your acceptance of this wonld be a striking demonstration of actual sincerity, and your friends will, I am sure, eagerly await your public declaration of adherence to the absolntely sound aud common principle that what is "sauce for the sooee" should be "sauce lor the gander.'" May T ask on what srouuds you Justify the division of the supporters of Retention into two sections, both of which shall be counted against Aboii" tion, and refrain from sußKesting a similar division between the voters against Retention? £. How wonld it appeal to Tou if Parliament were to apply your principle the other ivay, and decree that sinoe both Electors who favour the EFFICIENCY BOARD PROPOSAL and those who favonr IMUIEDIATJ-: PROHIBITION WITHOUT COMTENSATIOX, although, to quote your own 'words, "drridrd in their convictions," they were "UNITED IN ' THE iRASIC PRINCIPLE" of the necessity for ABOLITION of 'Liquor, the form of the ballot paper should provide for three issues only, NATIONAL CON'TINTIANCE, EPfICI liSCT iBOAHD PROPOSAL, IMMEDIATE PROHIBITION WITHOUT COMPENSATION ? And, further, •that both votes against Continuance should count in favour of Prohibition, just as both votea in your Petition agalnet Prohibition would count iv favour of Continuance. I am not asking for so severe ail application of your principle, and have never suggested L'lat these bwo sections should be counted against your one of Continuance. My "sincere" conviction would not allow that. All I enggest is tbat if you want inoro than two Issues you should, In fairnesw. have four, and .should accept the principle of I'ItEIKEREXTIAL VOTING, by transferable vote, which I presume you kno-w to be the only method >if securing a decision •by actual majority where more than two issues are submitted. By the 'way, have you noticed tJiat the- New Zealand Labour Party, which ought to understand the "BASIC PRINCIPLE" of Democracy, proposes to demand this very thin;.'? •Why not abandon camouflage? You must be awure that your "Trade" is utterly discredited. The war has shod a simply lurid light on its essential antagonism to National and individual 'weß-being. n hns so iwcentuatod Its essential character as the producer of poverty, misery, immorality, crime and inefficiency that there is a world-wide demand for its entire suppression. You cannot be blind to tie significance of the action of the United States or of Canada. At a sacrifice of an annual Revenue of £100,000,000 in the one case and of £4.000,000 in the other, these nations have decided that yonr "Trade" cannot he allowed to live. This is not the action of fanatical pro-hi-bitionists, hut of sane, hard-headed men, "who know that " PATRIOTISM, FREEDOM, and DEMOCRACY." which great and sacred •words some of yonr followers are daring to write over their appeals to save your "Trade," can Jiave not even the remotest connection with DRINK. You must be aware that t'ven in this little Nation your "Trade" is destroying lift' and not developing It, that it has caused an less than 43.000 ARRESTS for DRrXKEXXESa during the four years of the WAR, and that it is the only "Trade" publicly xt:imped !>y the Goverumont as unfit to carry im its business v-hen our solrtiern Ir-ave or return to the country for which they are prepared to lay down tbeir lives. To be quite fnink. ninny find it tord in understand why you do m>t seize tliis splrndM opportunity now offered I lo you to L-.-t mil. ; Vnuw faithfully. 1 K. f<. GRAY. Dominion Organiser Sew iJc.-iland SJ-T Alliance.