MR STATHAM AND THE LICENSING ISSUE

Evening Star, Issue 18139, 1 December 1922, Page 7

MR STATHAM AND THE LICENSING ISSUE

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—! do not usually take any notice of Jotters appearing ini the Press whore tho identity of the writer is nob disclosed. In your issue of 29tli ult., however, “Dunedin Centra,! ” asks mo certain questions as to my attitude on tho licensing question ; and', 'although I have repeatedly answered his questions from tho public platform during the present election: campaign, I will, if you will permit, me, toko this opportunity not only of answering his questions publicly, but also of replying to the extraordinary and persistent misrepresentations indulged 1 in by Mr W. S. Alariin. Perhaps I had' better deal with Mr Maaliu first, as no doubt his statement® have, been designed to discredit me in the eyes of the electors. At the last General Election I stated 1 publicly. on many occasions that, though I was not personally a Prohibitionist, 1 was prepared to give an absolutely fair run to both sides on the referendum. Some of my friends pointed out to mo that there was no need for mo to say that I was not a Prohibibionis —that that was my own private business; but I preferred lo tell tho electors exactly what I was, so that, though I was prepared to give a fair run to ail on tho referendum, no one could say that I had pretended' to be anything that I was not. Those who attended my meeting last election will no doubt rente ruber that I stated my attitude cleariy and definitely. I promised!—(l) To stand by the bare majority on all licensing matters; (2) to oppose any extension of. time for extinction of licenses in tlio event of National Prohibition being carried; (3) to retain 6 o’clock closing; (4) to support a straightout issue on tho ballot paper aa between Prohibition and Continuance; (6) to support preferential voting being adopted if more than two issues were retained in the ballot paper; end (6) to retain a triennial poll on the licensing question. All these pledges I have faithfully kept in the spirit and to the letter, and every vote of mine on the Recess Licensing Committee was given in accordance with these pledges. 1 will deal with Mr Muslin's statements seriatim. First, he says that I admitted in the debate an Parliament on August 2 that I was one of tho majority of the committee who supported _ the report as brought down. Mr Maslin has been challenged to prove his statement, by ‘Hansard ’ or otherwise, but ho has been unable to db so. I made no such admission, and could not have done m, because I did not support tlie report as brought down, and was not one of tho majority who brought it down. Ab a matter of fact, there were some twenty-five divisions taken on tho committee, and every vote of mine was made in strict accordance with my pledges. I have handed in to you, sir, a memorandum of the divisions showing how I voted on each sent to me by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and anyone who desires to do so is at liberty te peruse the list. Secondly, Mr Marini, after persisting in making bis incarroct statement® as to how I voted on the licensing report, has the temerity to suggest that 1 must have given pledges iijjtno interests of the liquor trade. My answer is simply this: I gave no pledge? whatever to the liquor trade or in the interests of the liquor trade. So much for Air Maslin'o charges. I have had some experience in fighting elections, and’ have notor lud an opponent who so persistently distorted the facts for the purpose of gaining his own ends. Now to return to the questions asked by “Dunedin Central.” The pledges which I gave at last election I repeat at this election, and this, I think, completely answers his question as to my attitude on future licensing legislation. With regard to what proposals brought forward by the Recess Licensing Committee I intend to support, my answer is that I will support only those which are in keeping with the pledges I have given. To deal in detail with the whole twenty-three clauses of the report would: take more space than you, sir, could be expected to rive mo in your columns. “Dunedin Central” may, however, inspect the record 1 of the divisions showing how I voted. Ho may also ask me as many questions as he pleases at my public meetings, and I shall be pleased to answer him from the public platform. —I am, etc., Chas. E. Statham. December 1.