MODIFIED ATTITUDE

Evening Star, Issue 25422, 1 March 1945, Page 9

MODIFIED ATTITUDE

METHODISTS AND PROHIBITION CONFERENCE DISCUSSES REFORMS i Whethei the ( Methodist Church should relax its rigid support for the cause of prohibition and accept the more flexible findings of the recent conference of different Churches (at which it was represented) at the hearings of the Royal Commission,to be set up to inquire into the licensing laws of New Zealand was keenly debated at the annual Dominion conference of the Church yesterday afternoon during a general discussion on the report of the Public Questions Committee. A clause in the committee's report recommended approval of the interchurch conference's findings on the score that they embodied practical proposals. It was em- j plinslseu during the discussion that prohibition at the present time was not an issue that had a majority support in the Dominion, and the clause in the report, which was before conference in the form of a motion, was adopted. An amendment urging that there be no modification of the attitude of conference to prohibition was defeated. The following motion was submitted on behalf of the Public Questions Committee by the convener (Rev. K. Dudley, of Christchurch): — " That while recognising that the findings of the interchurch conference on the Royal Commission to inquire into the licensing laws do not give all we desire, conference be recommended to approve such findings as embodying practical proposals." CONTROLLING AN EVIL. Elaborating on the motion, Mr Dudley said thai prohibition was not a jiractical proposal in view of the experience of the last licensing poll. '' Some persons," he said. " are of the opinion that the Church cannot whitewash the liquor traffic, but I do think that some of its greatest evils can bo controlled." The simple issue on which the Public Questions Committee desired a decision by conference, lie added, was whether it would approve of a practical method of controlling the liquor traffic. There were many people, not all of them church members or prohibitionists, who felt there was _ a great deal of fault to find with the operations of the Trust Control in Invcrcargill, said the Jlev. T. B. Haydon (Christchurch). He referred to the views of the Public Questions Committee on the trust experiment, and pointed out that any conclusions conference reached about its operations might be a little premature, as it was so far only in its infancy. Thero was one aspect about the trust, however, that was a retrograde move—the agitation for the opening of the drinking houses at Invercargtll in the evening. One of the finest reforms in the liquor trade had been the 6 o'clock closing hour. (Hear ; hear.) The speaker said lie could envisage many pitfalls should conference adopt the resolution in the report approving the findings _of the Royal Commission on the licensing issue.

The Rev. W. T. Blight (Feilding) ea.id he did not think there was just cause for any change of attitude by conference towards its allegiance to the nlear-cut Prohibition issue. _ From his interpretation of the operations of the Envercargill Trust as a resident of the other end of the Dominion he did not believe that the control of the sale of liquor iin Invercargill should be invested in a trust. "CONCESSION TO THE DEVIL." Rev. L. B. Neale (Dunedin) said that the recommendation of the committee was a concession to the devil. "There is enough of the devil in the State now," he added. The Rev. L. Hayman (Hokitika) said it was conceded by the Church that not euough votes could be obtained in-New Zealand to carry Prohibition at present, but the Methodist Church could choose the lesser of two evils, and minimise the effects of the liquor trade by adhering to its policy until the time when Prohibition had a majority following. The Rev. W. A. Burley _ (Wellington) said that if the majority of the people of New Zealand desired Continuance they had the right to state under what conditions they wished the liquor traffic controlled. The issue was clear. Was it to be " selfish, devilish private control" (and the strongest vested interests in the country were represented by the liquor traffic), or did the people want a trust or corporate ■ control ? THE AMENDMENT.

The Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt (Christchurch) moved as an amendment—" That conference receives with interest the findings of the Interchureh Conference on proposals to be made to the Royal Commission on the liquor question, and approves of them .in so far as they do not conflict wrth the Methodist Church's historic attitude to the liquor traffic." The amendment was lost, and the motion carried hy an overwhelming majority.-'' The report of the Public Questions Committee containing the resolution was then adopted.