LICENSING LEGISLATION

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 47, 19 November 1925, Page 10

LICENSING LEGISLATION

Sir, —The correspondence of the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association with the Prime Minister published in j-our columns to-day, calls for some comment. It was to be expected that the L.R.A. would try to make use of the increase in the middle issue vote. It is important, however, to remember that this increase in the vote was clear- ' ly solicited as a demaud for immediate reform as regards the retail sale of liquor.- It was not solicited as a means of showing a demand for reform plus another third issue on the ballot paper. The L.R.A. are entitled to use this vote for what it is worth—namely, 8 per cent, of the total vote—as a means of seeking immediate reform of conditions governing the sale of liquor. They may even claim it as an endorsement of the Parliamentary Licensing Committee’s Report, although that is rather more than they are justified in doing. In any case the Parliamentary Committee did not recommend that the existing State purchase issue should remain on the ballot paper or that any other third issue should go on in its place. The L.R.A., therefore, has gone beyond the limits of legitimate argument in claiming that the middle issue vote is an endorsement of corporate control. The L.R.A. is asking for another ballot paper that will perpetuate a species of fraud upon the electors. Look at the result of the poll just taken. Approximately 45 per cent, of the voters, i.e., 278,549, clearly stated that they wished things to remain as they are—thev do not even want reform of any sort. The L.R.A.; with its little 8 per cent, vote, claims to have the right to say to these people, “You are not going to have what vou want, yon must have what we want.” Approximately 48 per cent, of the voters, i.e., 301,262, stated clearly that they do not wish either continuance of the present traffic or any attempt at reform, they desired the traffic to be wiped out. The L.R.A., with its little 8 per cent, vote, clainffi the right to say to these people, “It does not matter what you want, we are going to make you have what .we want.” The total result is that a little body of 52,491 voters are to bepermitted to make the votes of 579,553 other voters of absolutelv no value. In other words, the middle issue disfranchises the voters for the other two issues. . It is true, as the L.R.A. points out, that the liquor interests, who have been using their money and organisation to secure votes for Continuance, also finance and support the corporate control proposal. It* therefore, remains necessary to point out that these interests already have their issue of continuance on the ballot paper, and that it would be nothing more nor less than an outrage lo permit these interests to have two issues on the ballot paper as against prohibition. The New Zealand Alliance will heartily support any and every reform that will reduce the consumption of liquor - or the evil effects arising from the liquor traffic. Let the new Parliament give us every practical reform that can be let the people have an expeiicnce with this “reformed’ trade, and then an opportunity to vote on the straight-out issue—prohibition or continuance. . The arrogance of an association representing only 8 per cent, of voters pressing the Prime Minister for presumably exclusive information as to when lie intends to deal with licensing legislation, is really a little amusing. —I am. etc.. J. MALTON MURRAY, Assistant Secretary, N.Z. Alliance. November 15.