“Low-Level Politics”

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 189, 8 May 1931, Page 11

“Low-Level Politics”

Sir —Under the above head you quote some observations of the Rev. L. H. Hunt, who says: “We have not had a moral victory worth speaking of for over a quarter of a century. We have not closed a public house for twenty years, but we have allowed twenty new ones to open.” The ministers of the churches are generally regarded as the moral and spiritual leaders of the people. If the moral forces have deteriorated or are failing, then clearly it. is time for the leaders to begin to consider their position, Let us hope Mr. Hunt is about to begin a crusade for a revival of valiant -leadership. But since his statement is inaccurate and, doubtless inadvertently, unjust to the forces ppposing the liquor traffic, I trust you will permit me to state the facts. ~.. The last no-license victory was Roskul in 1919. Since that time, as a result of the 1918 licensing legislation, the nolicense forces have been debarred from securing further success. The liquor traffic enjoys the privilege of trying to •make "dry” electorates “wet,” but no further “wet” electorates can be made “dry” by local no-license votes. We can only dose further public houses by carrying national prohibition. Ohinemuri, in 1925, voted, for restoration, and a total of twelve (not twenty) licenses was granted ns a result. Recent visits satisfy me that the commercial community in particular regrets this. So far from allowIng” new public houses to open, the New Zealand Alliance has vigorously and successfully prevented a number from being opened. . Here is the record since the last poll: The Alliance opposed and finally secured the quashing of a license granted to the Kamo Springs Hotel; it successfully opposed the application for a license for a hotel at Woodlands, South•land; it successfully opposed the cations for four licenses in Central Otago, and it successfully opposed the attempt to secure licenses in Ashburton following change of electoral boundary. By fdcing the - heavy expenditure involved in- failure, the Alliance fought this last case right up to its being argued before the Privy Council and scored a signal victory. This victory not only protects Ashburton but all other no-license districts as well. We were in a fair way to have the no-license districts wiped out by mere change of electoral boundaries. The Privy Council decision has put a stop to that and established the principle' that licenses can only be restored following a valid vote on that question resulting in a decision for restoration. Finally, the Alliance on the constructive side has opposed and does oppose every application for new brewery licenses:' it has pressed for enforcement of existing licensing law; it has urged the'Government to warn motorists concerning the'influence of alcohol on driving; it has urged the Health -Department to educate the public about the alcohol evil in the way that it does about tuberculosis and similar things; it has by considerable outlay assisted materially in the teaching'Of scientific temperance in the schools, and largely through its efforts the number of bands of hope in recent years has risen from 100 to 500. I. think the record proves that the moral forces opposed to the liquor traffic are far from “allowing” the traffic to have its way.—l am, etc., ,1. MALTON MURRAY. General Secretary. Npw Zealand Alliance. Wellington, April 30.