THE LIQUOR CONFERENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 668, 13 May 1914, Page 4

THE LIQUOR CONFERENCE.

During the discussion in connection with tha appointment of a delegate from the Te Kuiti Borough Council to i the conference of King Country local bodies for the purpose of considering the liquor laws affecting thß district, sufficient Was said to indicate the difficulties attaching to- the work of the conference. By limiting the extent to which a delegate could act on behalf of the Council to affirming the principle of giving a proper vote on local option to the King Country the Council went as far as was warranted in view of the diverse opinions held on the liquor question generally. It has to be remembered

that tha Council in dealing with the matter at. all is operating somewhat

beyond its legitimate sphere, and only in consequence of the unusual conditions which nrevail is it justified in trenching upon what the Mayor properly referred to as a great social problem. At the same time it is to be hoped the deliberations of the conference will not be confined to the bald issues of voting on local option. The issues placed be fore the people in respect to the local option vote were set up many years ago—so long ago, in fact, that it would be strange if conditions had not altered sufficiently to demand a revision in the meantime. Moreover, assuming that the bare justice of giving an operative vote on local option to the King Country is recognised by the Legislature, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the district would vote in favour of license. However deplorable that might be in the eye of any section of the community one can readily realise the conditions which might then be created might be something which the people did not desire, but which they were constrained to create, or vote straight out fcr prohibition. The popular cry of "trust the people" is useful to any cause as long as trusting the people may be of benefit to their cause, and cannot be harmful. Directly the positions are reversed the clamour ia abated, and reasons why the people should not be trusted are advanced in all directions. As far as the liquor laws in the King Country are concerned there appears to be no valid reason why the people most intimately concerned should not be trusted, and a vote on all issues accorded them. It is freely circulated that the system of State control of liquor has been proved to be a failure, and that it is undesirable that the King Country, or the Dominion,should adopt that principle. It should he pointed out that such declarations do not constitute any argument against trusting the people. If State contro of liquor is a failure, surely the peo> pla of the Dominion can be trusted not to adopt it. If State control is not a failure there is no reason why the people should not be given the opportunity to adopt it if they so desire. Even if it was the moat lamentable failure ever recorded in history there is no reason why they should not have the opportunity of voting on the issue. In the interests of liberty and democracy it is to be hoped not only the liquor question, but every other great social problem affecting the people will be opened up for the fullest possible discussion and investigation, and that tne people will be trusted sufficiently to make their desires clear and definite upon every issue. Only by such action can we hope to get a final and definite pronouncement upon great and debatable questions which follow the process of evolution in the world.