LICENSING ISSUE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 November 1925, Page 11

LICENSING ISSUE.

HOW WILL IT GO? OPINIONS OP ALL PARTIES. 4 Upon the eve of tlic registering of the votes of the people on the licensing issue, there is naturally some curiosity as to how the various parties engaged in the fight view their respective chances. Below, given in the ordei that the issues appeal - on the ballot papei, are the opinions put forward by Hawera men prominently connected with the three movements when a Star reporter waited on then! to-day. CONTINUANCE.

Mr. L. O. Hooker, interviewed, said that he had been organiser for the licensed trade in five electorates since 1918, and upon the following salient points he based his calculations as to what would be the possible result of the forthcoming poll. He said that in this particular area there had been a steady increase in favour of Continuance, and at the 1922 poll had the whole of New Zealand progressed at the same rate it would have meant a majority for Continuance of 65,000. The average improvement in tlie Stratford, Patea, Egmont, Taranaki and Waitomo electorates had been a 5.87 increase in favour of Continuance, while 4lie average improvement for the whole of New Zealand -was .038. It had been stated from , a public platform in Hawera on Saturday that this area had shown a distinct improvement in favour of Prohibition at the last election. This was contrary to fact, as both Continuance and State Control had been carried in the Paten and Egmont electorates with, larger majorities on a percentage basis than at the previous poll. In the Stratford and Taranaki electorates the Prohibition majorities had been reduced by about 800 votes in each electorate. Mr. Hooker said ho was most sanguine as far as the results of the present poll were joncerncd, and he was confident that the same majority could be maintained They held that everyone was entitled to vote, and they wished to help elector: to exercise their privilege in this direction. Consequently in order that the right of voting might he extended to everyone, they had put 370 people on the roll in the Patea electorate, 376 in the Egmont, 317 in the Stratford, and 903 in the Taranaki electorates. They' fully realised that they were dealing to a great extent with the apathetic voter, but they were most confident that if all the people could be got to the poll, -tin Continuance majority would be greatly increased.

In conclusion, Mr. Hooker said he could give a number of reasons to support the conclusions he had come to regarding the merits of Continuance, but he did not propose to attempt anything in the nature of propaganda. ‘ ‘ This is not the time nor the place for it,’’ said Mr. Hooker, “and our policy is always to be fair.’’ STATE CONTROL. Mr. A. Grant stated that the local committee of the Licensing. Reform Association, which advocated corporate control/considered that the third issue had made much headway throughout the country, and they expected a very much larger vote than “had previously been recorded. While they did not claim that the third issue would be carried at this election, they were of the opinion that the vote, would be such as to indicate that a very large number of the electors required some alteration in the method of controlling the liquor traffic. PROHIBITION. Mr. F. W. Horner, president of the Hawera Prohibition League, said that lie was very confident that the poll; in Taranaki would show a big increase in the prohibition vote. Reports from the electorates, and particularly concerning the financial campaign in Hawera and district, were distinctly encouraging. Promises of support had been received in many quarters where it wa s least expected, and there were definite indications of a big swing over of votes in favour of prohibition. He said that time was running in favour of prohibition as far as the great American experiment was concerned. America stili retained prohibition, and has no thought of reverting to former conditions. The proportion of dry Congressmen increased each election.

Secondly, the increase in drinking amongst women and girls was causing concern, and while one naturally did not wish to, over-estimate this factor, there wa s nevertheless an undoubted increase in this respect, and any tendenev in this direction was a serious matter.

Then, again, the revenue and taxation “bogey’’ raised three years ago -during the slump period probably made many voters • nervous of voting Prohibition. Conditions were brighter now in New Zealand, and with the anxieties of slump conditions removed people realised that money previously spent in liquor, and in dealing with .it s> results, would under prohibition be either

saved or diverted into useful and rev-enue-producing . channels. . v _ Motor and other accidents arising througn drink .were also helping to bring, conviction to the minds of voters. A strange phenomenon in thi s campaign was the conspicuous, absence of any reference by tne opponents of prohibition to conditions following no license in the twelve dry areas of; New Zealand. This was surely very significant. After all, prohibition , w,as becoming more and more a national question—a question of seeking to secure the greatest possible efficiency in national life. ...... v, .