"THE GREAT MASS"

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 29, 3 August 1926, Page 7

"THE GREAT MASS"

(To the Editor.) Sir,— ln your sub-leader on the licensing question, you assert that the "great mass" of public opinion does not share the views of either of the two contending parties, i.e., the Prohibition and the liquor parties. Parliament represents the voters. There were 319,450 Prohibition voters and "299,590 Continuance voters at the last poll. Who is there, outside of these two vast bodies—a minority of 56,037 ■ State Purchase voters. Surely it is obvious that public opinion is definitely ranged into two big camps. But the "great mass" of opinion cannot get to a clear decision because of the present undemocratic ballot-paper that enables, or rather is used, to frustrate the will of the larger of the two contending parties. The majority against Continuance (obtained by adding State Purchase votes to Pi-ohibition votes) was 75,897 —yet Continuance continues. We believe that the "great mass" of people desire an opportunity of ascertaining where the voters as a whole stand as between the two is- , sues, Continuance or Prohibition. There is certainly not any "great mass" asking for anything else;—l am, etc., J. MALTON MURRAY, Executive Secretary, N.Z. Alliance. 2nd August. [We certainly cannot agree that "public opinion is definitely ranged into two big camps," or even three. The voters have a choice of three issues, and they select that which they deem least objectionable; but that act of selection does not.commit them to approval of the aims and objects of the organised party which supports the selected issue. To say that 319,----450 Prohibition voters stand behind the New Zealand Alliance in all that it seeks is as ridiculous as to suggest that 299,590. Continuance voters wish to see the liquor trade maintained in its present state without reform. The public have never had the opportunity of recording a vote for reform except in the guise of State Purchase and Control. It is certainly drawing a fai"-fetched inference to claim that a vote for Prohibition is a vote of confidence in the Alliance, or a vote for Continuant) a vote of confidence in the Trade as' ■'.'- stands. —Ed.]