THE LIQUOR ISSUE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 87, 12 April 1923, Page 4

THE LIQUOR ISSUE

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING. "Never before in her history hae New Zealand witnessed such a lavish outpouring of money as was provided by the liquor traffic's campaign last year," stated the report of the New Zealand Alliance, read at yesterday's 37th annual, meet'ing by the Rev. J. Dawson. The meeting was held in the Dominion Farmers' Institute, and, in the absence of the president (Mr. A. R. Atkinson), the Rev. W. J. Comrie presided. The annual report stated that there was reason to believe that a substantial proportion of those who voted for State purchase and control at the last poll would have voted for Prohibition rather than for Continuance, had the illusive issue of State purchase and-Control • not been on the ballot paper. A;comparison of votes showed 18,122 more for Prohibition than for Continuance. "In the face of these figures," the report stated, "our obvious duty is to carry on the campaign more vigorously than ever, continually demanding a fair ballot paper." Splendid work in connection with immigrants had been done on behalf of the Alliance by Mr. R. G. Denton. Owing to the activities of the campaign, however, this service had been discontinued, but it should be possible to organise in every electorate workers willing to, and capable of, interviewing new arrivals. Reference was made in the report to the publication of "Public Opinion,'" for by this an attempt was made for the first time to reach every home in the Dominion. The "Vanguard" had also.attained wided circulation. Many books dealing with the faults of the liquor traffic were in circulation at the time of the election. The publicity campaign had been cramped by the stringent financial position. The report stated that the Prohibition cause had more energetic and concerted backing from the Churches on the recent occasion than it bad ever before had. The Anglican General Synod, as well as several diocesan synods, took a more definite stand than they had done in the past, and that, had the effect of causing both clergy and laity who were favourable to Prohibition to take a more active part in the campaign work than they had felt free, to do on previous occasions. Many of the non-Anglican Churches and Salvation Army, the Christian Brethren, and the Y.M.C.A. were never so active or' effective as during the last fight. Never before in her history had New Zealand witnessed such a lavish outpouring of money as was provided by the liquor traffic's campaign last year. The report commented on the class of publicity indulged in. Reference was made to the slate of the rolls prior to the election. Many examples were cited of duplications and other mistakes. The Bay of Plenty rolls were particularly alluded to. The claim was made that the Prohibition cause had not gone back, but had increased by over 30,000 votes, and was actually the largest vote that bad ever been cast on any subject in New Zealand. It was simply defeated and held in check by the unjust and undemocratic nature of the ballot paper. . . "We infer that 'less than one-third of 35,727 of the State purchase and control /'voters, or say, 12,000 out-and-out Continuance voters, prevented.32s,ooo voters saving New Zealand from the liquor traffic." "The time has come," it -was stated, "when 300,000 Prohibition voters; must exert pressure to have removed from the ballot paper an issue (State Control), which is not interesting to even 6 per cent, of the voters, and yet which baffles and defeats "noble aims. . • The statement has been repeatedly made that the 1918 Licensing Amendment Act is the result of a compromise between the New Zealand Alliance and the Trade. The statement is emphatically untrue, and has been denied repeatedly. . . Sir F. D. Bell, who prepared the Bill, made this perfectly clear in his statement when the Bill was under discussion in the Legislative Council." "This hateful traffic will gain its riches by reducing to poverty those unable to withstand the craving for alcohol," concluded the report. "The traffic is & pirate on the sea of commerce." Mr. John J. Royds. of Christchurch, was unanimously elected president.