MR BAILEY AT CHELTENHAM.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 126, 26 November 1896, Page 2

MR BAILEY AT CHELTENHAM.

TO THE EDITOR Sir,— Mr Bailey stated at his Feilding meeting on Monday evening that his answers to my questions about Prohibition at Cheltenham were misunderstood. As your report was necessarily abridged I should therefore like to state briefly what took place l«aviug it to your readers to draw their own conclusions. I give my questions and Mr Bailey's answers as nearly as I can remember them. " You say your are not a Prohibitionist ?" " Will you vote against any further legislation in the direction of Prohibition '?" Mr Bailey : I decline to pledge myself as to bow I shall vote. " Then you are nofc pledged to vote in the direction of National Prohibition ?" Mr Bailey: No; the people of this colony have now power to vote Prohibition if they like and I believe iv leaving it to the people. " You seem to misunderstand ray question. Last session Mr Seddon introduced a measure giving the people power to vote on the question of National Prohibition. If that measure is in troduced again, will you vote against it?" Mr Bailey : I decline to pledge myself either way. v Then were you incorrectly reported iv the Advocate when you are made to say that you pledged yourself to vote in the direction of National Prohibition ?" Mr Bailey : Yes. Mr R. S. Fowler then asked Mr Bailey whether he was in favor of coinpensa tion to publicans, to which he replied " No," addine as he resumed his seat, " There is too much capital being made out nf this matter. a.'he fact is ' Prohij bition is dead.' " i I leave it to those present at the meeting to say whether the above is not a fair report of what occurred. I am, etc., Wm. F. Jacob.