LIQUOR AND LABOUR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15457, 8 November 1910, Page 8

LIQUOR AND LABOUR.

TO THE EDITOR. , ‘ sU ’> It is said you have to go away from homo for news. This saying came to my mind when reading the cnbloK*! am from Sydney in which Mr G. Bivicho.ls “attributes the position to the | and liquor interests voting toj get her. The same thing had happened in New Zealand, but Labour afterwards dropped the trade and declared war against it.” The first portion of the cablegram was “dished ut>” after the result of the Federal elections held in April last, but was denied and proved false by the Labour authorities. Now wo have the same false statement reiterated hv the opponents to Labour in the state election of New South Males, the second portion of the cablegram, in which lie refers to Labour in New ■Zealand, is, in my opinion, another fabrication, a libel, and an insult to tho intojhg6iico of tho workers of New Zealand. Personally I know numbers of woruers who vote regularly no-license at election time. As a unionist for years, 1 have never heard directly or indirectly of such a union as stated by Mr Nicliolls. At the recent Labour Conference held at Auckland (July), tho following (one of the planks) was agreed to: — “ Social Reform . . . (b) Right of the people to restrict or abolish tho liquor traffic by bare majority vote at local and dominion polls.” I am quite in accord with this, and I also believe tho majority of the workers of New Zealand aro the same. To-day wo have the “Sydney Morning Herald” also dishing up” tho same false statement regarding tho State election as was made in connection with the Federal elections. Of course, supposing that the Wade Party had won, with the assistance of the liquor party, nothing would have been said; it would have been the decision of tho higher intelligence of tho people I —l am, etc.,

A WORKING GALLANT.