Page 6 Advertisements Column 1

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 6

THE GREAT ISSUE. FAIR, JUST, AND DEMOCRATIC. Prohibitionists are endeavouring to make the public believ* that no issue would be carried if there were three National Issues on the ballot-paper, viz., National .Prohibition, National Ownership, National Continuance. This statement is made for the purpose of misleading the people. Take the result of the ballot on the National Issue at the last ' election: 257,442 voted in favour of Continuance, 247,217 voted in, favour of Prohibition. Here is a dear majority of 10,225 votes favourable to Continuance of the existing system. Let it be supposed, with the three issues, on the ballot-paper, that the vote in favour of Prohibition is still 247,000, and the vote for Continuance is 157,000, and the vote" for National Ownership is 100,000, there is a clear majority in favour of Continuance, because those'who vote fpr National Ownership, are not abolitionists. They are not"' Prohibitionists. They merely wish' to change the system and eliminate private interest. Instead of the State, as now, taking £1,300,000 of the profit, State Ownership-Controllers desire the State to possess all the profit. The Prohibitionists want to make the people believe that it is not a fair, just, and democratic proposal that the majority should rule, and so in a case of that kind, they desire" that their . minority should dominate the majority favourable to the manufacture, sale, and use of alcohblic beverages; but in the case cited there would -be a clear 10,000 majority in favour of retention of liquor and against its abolition. The Prohibitionists, .however, claim that they have a majority of the electors in favour of Prohibition. In that case, their solicitude about the three issues on the ballot-paper is mere camouflage. If they think a majority is for Prohibition, and a bare majority of the electors who would vote upon the three issues is obtained by them, then Prohibition would be carried. In 1914, public opinion on the National Issue was decidedly against the abolition .of liquor,.and that ought to have settled the question till the next General Election. It is not patriotic to excite the public into controversial matters at a time when we should all be bent on winning the war, and the huge sums of money '.which the Prohibitionists are spending could be spent to a better purpose if handed to the Redl Cross Fund or the V.M.C.A, However, the petition which, the National Council is circulating is not for the purpose of dividing the people at the present time, but for the purpose of petitioning Parliament that at the next General Election, the 'three issues,, viz., National Prohibition, National Ownership, and National Continuance, should be put upon the ballot-paper, and that there should- be only one ballot-paper on the liquor question. It is reasonable to expect that all fair-minded people will sign this petition for Patriotism, for Freedom, and for Democracy.—Published by arrangement. 3 DAYS' SPECIALS Q In ■ ■ O UNDERCLOTHING FOR CHILDREN. UNDERCLOTHING FOR CHILDREN. DOUBLE-WIDTH VOILES, Is o£d yard UNDERCLOTHING FOR LADIES Also, 10 doz. Child's Black CASHMERE HOSE (size 4, 5, 6), ALL Is PAIR 20 doz. Ladies RELIABLE SUEDE GLOVES, all sizes, Browns and Greys, worth 9s 6d for 6s 6d. COLE'S DRAPERY CO., 108, 110, 112, CUBA-STREET. /CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SOCIETY OF KJ ' WELLINGTON holds Services every SUNDAY EVENING, at 7 o'clock, also a Testimony Meeting every WEDNESDAY EVENING, at 8 o'clock, Bouloottstrcot. Reading Room, earn© addrees, open each day of week, from 2 to-4. Public oordiajly welcomed. MIRAMAR. WANTED to Sell, compact 5-roomed. HOUSE, bathroom, electrio light, fowl houses, nice vegetable garden, drainage, newly painted and papered, £600, £200 deposit, balance 15s weekly. Apply A.W., Evening Post,