IS IT A PROHIBITION MOVE?

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15939, 28 June 1917, Page 4

IS IT A PROHIBITION MOVE?

TO TDK EDITOR OP "TUB PRESS." Sir, —A speaker who on one occasion was reported to have said he would not under certain conditions grow a-heat 'or Hill Massey. has been telling Ellesmero electors tiie agitation for j early closing is not a prohibition move. I and the report adds lio stressed that statement —possibly with as much unction us ho alarmed a farmers' meeting with his assertion on the wheatprowins- But I am now concerned as an olccior, who has always favoured continuance as opposed to total prohibition, with a further statement that Mr Rhodes must understand from him "the closing of hotels has tho hearty support of all classes,"' also the chairman's remark that "the great body ot the people were the ipo^ 6 * ment," which statement is undeniable. Last week it was the Hon. D. Buddo who first had to face thei music of six o'clockers, and then pressure was sought to be put on the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes. At Mr Buddo's meeting chairman said four-fifths of tho Kaiapoi electorate were in favour of six o'clock closing, backed by another speaker who had his double at Ellasmere to threaten that if the Government does not adopt the closing for . hotels, it may mean that both the liquor question and the Government''

will be swept aside. No more blatant snd silly were ever uttered, as I will soon show. The Ellesmer© petition, it wa? stated, had been signed by a thousand—to be exact, tho report states it contained a thousand signatures, and one reverend gentleman had been "astonished at tho case with ivhieh the signatures had been obtained." For my part, I should havo expected more, as the prohibitionists have been canvassing day and night, and doing overtime on Sundays. Tho Kaiapoi electorate petition recorded 1761, where the Prohibitionists must havo been more active in obtaining signatures. In Dunedin last week they got a list of 17,000 _ signatures, which should turn lvaiapoi and lCllesmero green with envy. The sequel showofch that when the whole matter is stimmed up, Ellesmere with 1000 petitioners, has (5622 names on its electoral roll, of whom 40(30 voted for national continuance, which meant keeping open from 6 a.m. till 10 D.m.* Kaiaqpoi, with 1761 petitioners, has 6887 electors, of whom 2877 voted for national oontinuanco for three years from 1915. Dnnedin, 17,000 petitioners, has 37,434 electors for Dunedin and Dnnedin South, and a population of 36,434 (without taking in the snburbs) the majority of whom, arc not Prohibitionists; National continuance for threo years for the colony was carricd on December 10th, 1914, for three years, by a majority of 10,225 votes, and again I can see that tho prohibition for that "six months after the war" which gives the promoters of this six o'clock fuss clean away, is no nearer its goal than it has ever been. —Yours, etc., A. B. C.