THE LICENSING ISSUE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19032, 21 June 1927, Page 13

THE LICENSING ISSUE.

TO THE EDITOR OT THE PRESS. fir, -When in your leading article 1b to-day's issuo you accuse a number tf cor legislators of "moral weakness gad mental dulness," also of actions tint could not be reconciled with "a dear conscience," you make it difficult if not impossible for any self-respect-ing a«inbcr of the accused to reply. Ha would probably disdain to repel (oeb an accusation, knowing that the feat answer lo any such moral impeachment won Id be found in the judgment •f'/tkoM vho know* him best. In that Kfbeet it is possible that it may be ftaad.W relation to moral strength, neatel *" alertness, and conscientious fernpie that bis record will bear coinpyifap even with that of his accuser. Ihold no brief for those whose action y<m so severely censure, but in justic* to them it is only fair to point out that the case against them is by ao means bo eonelusivo in its strength u yon very confidently imagine. You VSZ Almost tearful in depicting tho terrible plight of those who, by the abolition of tha third issue, would be comto vote, if they voted at all, for ue of two issues, neither of which thoy Mieve in. But what, pray, aro those at present vote State Control compeUed to vote for without any choice oatkeir part! You say that if they mated Prohibition they would have voted for it. That is quite true, and it is equally true' that if they wanted Continuance they could have voted for it. But they did not vote for it, preanmaWr because they believed in it jnst sj mneb and just as little as they believed in P/ohibition. But for all that those 50,000 odd State Control ▼oteeirtre added to the votes for ContinnaßW, &nd so you have this, result that tbntinnanc o was declared carried br » majority of somo 30,000 votes, made possible by the 52,000 votes of pcopte/njio had declared by the vote £ey east that they didn't believe in tf] II approving the attempt to remove neb a glaring anomaly as. that is to b branded as a sign of "moral weakM* and mental dulness," only possible W a stretch of conscience, one is lea f wonder what kind ot measuring rod tk been made use of from ; the standMrat iif intelligence and fair-play. ProfiE&Susta are qtite prepare*! to accept th*yd6«i4ion*flf-a straight-out vote of the people-but they object strongly to the unjust handicap.imposed upon them br the provision that Continuance Bhould ; aided by votes "that arc cast for ant other issue altogether. —Yours, etc., , W. J. WILLIAMS. Jnne 20tb.