THE LICENSING POLL.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 279, 23 November 1921, Page 7

THE LICENSING POLL.

A PRESISVTERIAX:.. PETITION. (V,y TelPfffnpli.—Press Association.) JJUXKDIN". Tuesday. Tiio Prrshytcrian General AeecmWy unanimously .Andorscil the coramittoe's proposals to petition Parliament to have the State control issue eliminated from the ballot ipapfer, and to urge upon Parliament the necessity of a thorough revision of Ilie clcotoral roll and the desirability of adopting what is known the "area of pK-einvt" voting system.

The committee was authorised to i<=sue a prohibition manifesto and a pastoral letter by the moderator to all Presbyterian churches.

T!:c opinion was •strongly expressed that the roll* were in urfrent need of revision, and that a demand be made for entirely new rolls.

The Rev. W. J. Cowrie (Wellington) said the prohibition party could have the elimination of the State contr-al issue from the ballot, pa.por at a price, but the price the other side had asked m a proposal to Mr. iMaseey was that a time limit of five years should bo granted. The prohibition party would not have the elimination of State control at that price, or anything like it.

STATE CONTROL ISSUE. ATTITUDE OF Tlffi TRADE. this day. In reply- to ■ a statement made by the Rev. \V. .f. C-omrie at the Presbyterian Assembly regarding elimination of the Slate Control issue. Mr. J. R. Uo-av, secretary of the Xationa-1 itoun'ciil of the licensed trade, said the Trade had made no proposals whatever in connection. with the matter. They, fully recognised the rijiht of those electors who approved State Control having means of expressing their opinioTi at the ballot 'box, and for this reason they were strongly opposed to elimination of the issue, a-nd would not. under any ctrctimsta.nees, make the franchise of electors the medium lor 'political bargaining. The Prohibition party were doing their utmost to have the State Control issue, removed from the 'bsillot paper, atnd if they were successful, Mr. C-omrie and his party must tnkc the whale rcsponsi'bUity for over thirty-two thousand electors. I!c wislied to cive a clonr ar.(l emphatic denial to a friwwment Lhal Liie liccn«ed trade (ilescribr<l by Mr. r(n;ir;c a-. "The otter si,Je") had "ma-dc any proposals to Mr. Massey or contemplated entering into any bargain whatever about the State Control issue. '•