COMPENSATION

Evening Post, Volume xciv, Issue 73, 24 September 1917, Page 2

COMPENSATION

10 THE EDITOR. j Sir,—Although I have taken an interest in tho liquor question for many years, I have always been content to express my views at the licensing poll, leaving it at that; but, seeing that Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Massey, and Mr. Herdman are shedding tears over compensation to the publican and raising the bogey of loss of revenue through 6 o'clock closing, it is about time that someone took a hand. To compensate the trade for the loss of revenue —which has yet to be found out whether true or. not—because the people have plainly said that they will have to close at 6 o'clock, would be a disaster. Why should the trade be compensated? Why should the prominent members of the National Ministry have such a soft spot in their hearts for the trade? When the Imperial Government started buying up our foodstuffs the following positions arose:— When the wool was . requisitioned dozens of small buyers, fellmongers, jobbers, lost their business and a lucrative earning powers. Did they ask the Government for compensation ? Did the. marine insurance companies who lost both their marine and war risk business —running into hundreds of thousands of pounds—ask the Government Eor compensation? ' Did the Union Company, which has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds because their steamers were requisitioned fov transports, ask for compensation? If their steamers had been allowed to trade the same as neutrals are they would have made at least £500,000 per annum more than they are making out of Government charter. The only people who have got compensation are the banks in New Zealand,

who have been presented with 4s 7d per bale on every bale of wool that they claimed would have been shipped had it not been. requisitioned. Probably the publicans will bring this forward as a justification for them getting compensation. Have any the mothers or the fathers of our soldiers asked for compensation for their sons lying on Gajlipoli, France or Belgium. True, they, may get a pension, but is it anything at all commensurate with the pre-war earning power of their sons? The National Government had better beware how it tinkers with compensation. If the publicans are entitled to compensation so are hundreds of others, and it will—without the publicans—run into millions, and in most cases there is more justification for claim than the publicans have got. The National Government had better see the handwriting on the wall. They have had a long run, but what have they done to justify their existence? Would not a General Election purify the atmosphere even if they did come back? They would at a-nyrate know what the people wanted and "they do not, I submit, know that now. Practically every _ reform,, every pension, anything of utility has had to bo dragged out of them. They have absolutely no initiative. They relegate matters to various boards, and when the boards have collated evidence and given their decision as to what the public want, the Government throw them, overboard and then elect themselves to. sit on the boards. The referendum, as Mr. Massey points out, may be "the eheetanchor of the shuffler," but I sumbit it is about time the National Government, which was elected in pre-war days, went out on to the platforms to hear public opinion. If the claim for compensation by the National Government ie pressed for publicans they will find that throughout the Dominion that there will be men and women arise who are not prohibitionists in any sense of the term who will show the National Government that they can-, not play fast and loose with public opinion. As regards the loss of revenue through early closing, this has yet to be proved, and if the Finance Minister is as good a prophet in this connection as> he was in connection with the raising of loans in the Dominion, when he stated that it would be a mistake to raise a loan locally and then raises eighteen millions —with a promise of further millions—his statement about alleged loss of revenue can, I submit, be taken with a grain of salt. Anyhow, there are other methods of raising revenue, and I for- one do not mind paying extra, direct taxation to make up for loss of liquor revenue —if there is a loss—rather than pay it indirectly to Hospital Boards, Charitable Aid Boards, and prisons.—I?am, etc., A REAL FREEMAN. 21st September.