ALLIANCE CONGRESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 150, 26 June 1914, Page 2

ALLIANCE CONGRESS

VARIOUS PAPERS READ At yesterday afternoon's session the New Zealand Alliance Conference the Rev. W. j: Williams in the chair, Mr. H. D. Bedford, of Dunedin, was closely questioned in regard to the paper which he had road in the morning on "How will Prohibition Affect, Labour?" He was heartily thanked for his effort. Mr. J. Harrison, of Marsden, introdiu'otl the subject of "Our Attitude to Candidates for Parliament," which wav jf f erred to a committee for a subsequent repor l . --Iks M. S. Powell, of Palmerston, read ;> paper on "Tho Rolls and Enrol- j incut," which was well discussed. j A paper on "Polling Day Arrangements" wa? read by the Rev. J. Cooker, of t Christ church, and met with full consideration. MAORIS AND THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. The question of liquor in the King Country was discussed at tho evening session. Moerua, Chief of Te Kuita, aJid a family connection of the great Whakatiui, jiave an address by the aid of an interpreter,' which evoked great' enthusiasm. Ho 4,-rid that ho was chairman of a commit! po set up in 1900 jointly by ibe Government nnd the Maoris, which •uas atr.ju^ly in favour of Prohibition. From that da.y no Maori had asked for tho removal of Prohibition. He said he 'wi heard of somo of the whitemen wantinr; it. but of the 2000 Maoris in the KiiiQ Country nor more than ten of them wanted liquor bars. "The Maoris/ tsiud Aloerua, "did not. want tho- vote, but if a vote is taken 1 am afraid that persons interested in "the trade' will offer financial promises, thus by bribery get votes for whisky, but it Would not be ati honest voto." -On bfchalf of tho Maori children, the ohiof made an appeal to the Christian ministers to fight alcohol. ' - After a vigorous discussion it was decided :— "That this conference has heard with great pleasure the- address of Chief Moerua on the matter o"f tho proposal, to romove the prohibition of the sale of liquor in the King Country, and is glad to have the assurance that such a proposal is strongly opposed to tho wish of all but very few of tho Maoris in that distnet. This congress pledges itself to do all in its power to prevent the breaking down of a restriction that is so urgently called for in the best Interests of both Maoris and Europeans." The conference then adjourned until this morning.