THE DIRECT VETO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9985, 14 March 1893, Page 2

THE DIRECT VETO.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —The letter of Mr H. L. Rogers calls for a reply from me. Up to the present time the Liberal Association hss not included what is colled the direct veto in its platform. The fifth plank includes female suffrage, and tbs seventh affirms the equal rights of men and women to votes on all licensing questions. The Association has not, however, affirmed wh*fe questions relating to licensing matters should be sent to the vote. This being the case, Mr Rogers has erred in stating that at Eangiora the Hon Mr Walker and myself declared the Liberal Association had adopted the direct veto as a plank of its platform. He has probably misunderstood the answer I gave at the meeting to the E&v Mr Monro. In reply to that gentleman I stated the attitude of the Association as above expressed. Mr Rodgers bos, apparently, understood my reply as co womanhood suffrage to refer to the direct veto. I may add that, do far as I am aware, the Liberal Association regards the direct veto as emphatically "a side issue/’ and prefers to leave its members untrammelled upon that and several other questions. The larger matters of taxation, land settlement and social legislation, ore of general importance, pnd it is the desire of the Association that attention shall, as far as possible, be centred upon them at the general election. —I am, G. W. RUSSELL, Upper Eiccarton, March 13. TO THE'EDITOR. Sir,— 'When you wrote your article declaring that the time had not arrived to bring into force the direct veto, you did not advance any argument in support of your statement. Allow me, as a working man, to give my opinion why I think the time has arrived in New Zealand for the people to have the direct veto. It appears to me that the licensed public-house is inimical to the public good. The influence which flows from it is of a demoralising nature and a source of degradation to the people. The bar, with its glittering surroundings, is made so as to attract men and women to their doom, and it is known as a positive fact that when men are in a half-drunkon state these same publio-houas-keepers will supply them with adulterated liquor. Thereby, their brains are maddened, and they commit crimes and do deeds that otherwise they would net do. Your paper records facts day after day of deeds committed by men and women under the influence of drink, of lives sacrificed, of brutal treatment of wives and children, of accidents taking place through the carelessness of men under the influence of drink, engendered and brought about by the licensed bars. Again, it seems to me, as a working man, that these houses are always planted iutha midst of the working classes and not among the rich and well-to-do people, and are, therefore, a temptation to thosewhoareinmosturgentneed of support. Under the present system of licensing through monetary influence, public-houses or licensed bars are forced on people and on districts against their wishes. Men, for the sake of gain, invest their money in this traffic, and they do not care one iota who are the sufferers as long as their pockets are lined and their selfishness satisfied. That baa been demonstrated within our own midst the last two years through the action of the Sydenham ratepayers. The brewers and publicans have harassed the people’s representatives and put them to all sorts of expense so that they may keep those licensed bars in their midst against their wishes. Then, again, it is desirable to put it beyond the power of those in position or power, like the Government or Licensing Committees, to submit to bribery or corruption. It is a well-known fact that for the sake of revenue or votes. Governments will do dirty actions and mean tricks so as to gain the influence of those trading in that direction. Take the Licensing Committees, and carefully view their actions. Can any sane man come to any other conclusion than that they administer the Act in the interest of the brewers and publicans ? Why, I have known man to serve on Licensing Committees who have never seen the Licensing Act. The Chairman of the Committee in this district, when shown wherein he was wilfully breaking the Act, declared that he was a novice at it, did not understand it. When we see them ourselves wilfully breaking the laws which they were elected to administer, can we come to any other conclusion than that the present licensing system is a failure ? Take, again, the manner in which the police allow the Act to be broken. From, one end of the Colony to the other the facts are spread out before the people’s eyes of Sunday trading, of selling after hoursi supplying liquor to persons under age/ permitting* gambling and drunkenness in the licensed houses. Can the-public come to any other conclusion than that there is something wrong with regard to the manner in which the police allow the Act to bo broken ? I say again that these are considerations sufficient to place it in the hands of the people to say whether they will allow the licensed bars in their midst or not. From a working man’s standpoint it is not desirable by any means to have j licensed bars in our midst, and I claim that we have a right to the direct veto.-—I am, &c., A WORKING MAN.