AFTER THE POLL

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 5

AFTER THE POLL

DEFEAT OF PROHIBITION

THE OPINION OF THE TRADE

NEXT TEST NOT FEARED.

The opinion of the'- licensed trade in. New Zealand with regard to the rc-sulfc of the liquor referendum was given .in an interview bj' Mr. A. .S/ Bankart, President of the National Council of New Zealand. -,

"With the majority of the citizens o£ the Dominion," said Mr. Bankart) "we, us business men engaged iv a needed and legitimate industry, are naturally- relieved to find that the destructive policy of the faddist .minority is not, to, be tolerated; It is also satisfactory to know that the evil consequences that always follow the imposition of any restrictions of the people's liberties are not to be experienced in this country."

"How does the voting in the various electorates at the recent referendum compare with that of the 1914 licensing poll?" "Mr. Bankart was asked.

"To make such a comparison would bo as Uidess as it is unnecessary," was the reply. "Is it not obvious that the manhood of the country has been greatly.depleted by the great war/ some 16,000 men. having left our shores never to re-" turn, while 45,000 electors have 'been withdrawn from the various rolls,"" and are included in an entirely, new1 roll, popularly known as 'the soldiers vote' ? How, then, can you maJie comparisons as you suggest? If it were possible to allocate these soldiers to the individual electoral rolls it would undoubtedly be found that those electorates which on the civilian vote show" an increased vcte> for Prohibition (duo to the. preponderance of women voters) are in reality opposed to Prohibition."

A great deal of misrepresentation and vituperation were hurled against what is called "the trade." This was, of course, puerile. The trade, meaning that section which was financially interested, was in reality but a small percentage of! the electors of this Dominion. '.....,.

APATHY OF MODERATE ELECTORS.

The referendum, Mr. Bankart■!'.continued, was won with little effort on :the part of the trade. Better could; have been done with a greater attempt to organise the electors.. 'The .fact ...that the civilian vote was so small showed that the licensed hotel trade placed too much reliance on the interest created h? the poll, and neglected to make due. provision for the transport of moderate electors to the various'polling booths. However, it was apparent that, in spite o£ the apathy of so large a section of the moderate voters, there was an increasing sentiment among the people in favour of the retention, as opposed to the abolition, of alcoholic liquor within the Dominion. One had only to take No-License electorates other than those contiguous to citie3 for an example. The Trade relied upon v. the dissatisfaction, known to exist in these electorates with the existing state of affairs, and the, steady increase in the vote for continuance in many of them proved that that confidence was not misplaced.

RELIANCE ON SOLDIERS NOT

MISPLACED.""

The Trade also relied upon the soldiers* vote. It regarded the soldier as a sane, reasonable man, with a knowledge of the realities of life. The attempt made to force an issue vitally affecting the social life, as well as the well-being of the community, during the absence of the soldiers from the Dominion,- was bound to be resented by those men'who had dared all for the Empire as a whole. The boomerang flung by the Prohibitionists against the absent men had come back and knocked out the hurlers. , Once the chance was given to the manhood of the country it spoke with no uncertain voice against the continuation of the series of restrictions. The impudent assertion of the "stay-atrhomes"-that closing the hotels was necessary to win the war had been repudiated by the very men who are in the best position to prove its fallacy. The enormous preponderance of the soldiers' vote was received in favour of the retention of liquor within the country. Whether they were content with the present system, or whether, after" their experience in England, they preferred State control, was a question which would be answered in December. ..'.-■' COMPENSATION QUESTION. "How does the Trade view the "fact that Prohibition, if carried next time, will bring no compensation?" "Several members of the licensed hotel trade who for the past twenty-five years hare had to defend their position against the well-organised attacks of the .Prohibitionists, might have been glad to_ take their share of the compensation offered, but the compensation of £4,500,000 was always regarded as a bait, tardily and reluctantly flung to the licensed hotel trade to try and induce it to sell the moderate elector, but, the bait failed in its object, and the licensed hotel trade sees nothing in it but, an. admission,ton the part of the people to the effect that something'at least should be done in the direction of dealing equitably and justly with a trade that has faithfully served them in the face of so much adverse and fanatical opposition." , :'. TWO GREAT ISSUES. "What of the accusation that the coming poll has been manoeuvred by the Trade to best suit its own interests?" ; "The December poll," replied Mr. Bankart, ''is to be taken on what is known as the 'three-issue ballot paper.' Its object is to fairly and honestly divide the people into the only two divisions possible, Viz., those who are in favour of the retention of the importation, manufacture, and sale of alcoholic liquor within the Dominion and those who are in favour of the total abolition of a alcoholic liquor within the Dominion. These are the two great issues to be decided. There is no halfway house. Either retention or abolition must be voted." The triangular poll would decide that clean-cut issue. Those in favour of the total abolition of liquor, had their opportunity of voting, and it' a bare majority of- the people said "Abolish it," out it went on Ist July, 1920. If, on the contrary, the abolitionists were "th a minority (as it .was certain' they were) then the retentionists, who had had the opportunity of supporting either the continuance of the present system or a system of State ownership and control, would decide the question. , -