Licensing Legislation.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9820, 20 July 1900, Page 7

Licensing Legislation.

[to the editor.]

Sir. —What does your correspondent " Temperate " mean by the Prohibition party ? Does he mean the large body of men and women who toted no-license, and sent Mr Seddon back to power more securely than ever, or does he mean the combinations of Ministers and some others who would have rejoiced could, they have used the Prohibition vote to defeat the Liberal Government and enthrone the Conservative party in power to carry out their same old selfish games again? "Temperate" evidently feels very disappointed that such a thing did happen. As one of the former kindly allow me, Mr Editor, to say I consider we were perfectly juutified iv the course we adopted.

It is apparent to all now that our Prohibition leaders have blundered. I clearly saw years ago that if they persisted in their abuse of Mr Seddon it meant lasting injury to the cause. It cannot be denied that when the Premier passed the advanced temperance legislation we now enjoy, these leaders, with one or two exceptions, instead of supporting him ceased not to abuse and misrepresent him simply because, I Suppose, they could not, to viae a common saying, twist him around their little finger. \Vhafc happened at the laet elections? Wherever the Prohibition . League nominated a candidate it was (one opposed to the Government, and | failure was the result. c

There was a time, I believe, when Mr Seddon was not sure "he could keep his Government in power without the support of the Prohibition League. Jf at that time the League had stood by him and supported him, Prohibition would have been years nearer us than it is now. There was nothing whatever to prevent Prohibition candidates being nominated pledged to support Mr Seddon, except it was the dislike of him that had got into some of the leaders of the movement. Now, I believe, it is too late. There is little chance of getting a Prohibition Government elected. We shall have to wait until.the. vote is strong enough to carry it by our present local option powers.—lam, etc., Prohieitionist. Hastings, July 18th, 1900.