THE EFFICIENCY BOARD AND PROHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3164, 16 August 1917, Page 6

THE EFFICIENCY BOARD AND PROHIBITION

Sir,-When the Hon. Mr. Herdman. brought down his Anti-Shoubng Hegulations, he said in effect: The mature, judgment of the few is of more value, than tho immature and "rational opinion of tho many." *ow tho prohibiticmists are claiming that this applies witii equal force and judgment to the iH>ciency Board, and the prohibitionists aro twitting the Minister of Justice and other members of the Cabinet and of tho House in that they do not appreciate tho judgment of the Efficiency Board "> th® licht of Mr. Herdman's dictum, but, sir. what is the deliverance the mature judgment, of the National Efficiency Board as regards the liquor question and P The b potots of" tho board's judgment ara as follow:—(I) Immediate prohibition, with reasonable compensation; CO a vote of the people on the question, with ieasonable compensation to the interests affected; (3) a shortening of hours under am- circumstances. • . , The Efficiency Board is favourable to prohibition, but their favour to prohibition is balanced by their mature judgment that reasonable compensation mu»t be paid-to the liquor interests, for tluf board says:—"lt is manifest that injustice would arise if the licenses of tho liquor trade were summarily terminated without reasonable compensation. _ Ana it is also manifest, as was so adimraoly expressed by the Hon. Mr. Herdman that a curtailment of tho property of the! licensees bv shortening the hours of sale, would be a ground for reasonable compensation, so that here we ha.ve a solution offered to us by the mature judgment of the members of Jh® Efficiency Board, viz., immediate prohibition, lutti reasonable compensation to the interest? affected. Some tolerant prohibitionists, as distinguished from the intolerant clerical prohibitionists, are fav OMftMetotho immediate acceptance of the Efficiency Board's recommendations. Mr. Jj. * - Isitt M.P., a distinguished prohibitionist, 'has already expressed liimseli m the House as favourable to this couue. 1 Mr. K- G. Denton, the president the prohibitionists in Wellington, saja. -■ us buy out, and shut up the trade for ever" Thus, through the itticicncy I Board by infusing reasonableness into I the minds even of prohibitionists, tun e ponS H 'lifo b of °tho country. It is gratiso much favour. This is not a proper time to show, as veai/a™ quife 1 as 1 soma of the principles of lieathen and aiitv Christian religions as were their predein tho earliest Christian times, into the weft and woof of .the theology of our up-to-date Christianity so-caliedr The whole point is that the Efficiency Board has reported favourably to prolu-. bition on a "reasonable compensation basis, and that is a principle which should actuate all honest temperance reformers in this Dominion for the future. Prohibition without reasonable compensation is a dishonest proposal, and it is the dishonesty of prohibition, together with tho fanatical advocacy of it by a lew loud-voiced persons, that has made it so objectionable to a large majority of tho people.—l am, etc., JTJSTITU .