THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Matamata Record, Volume XI, Issue 933, 2 July 1928, Page 4

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

PARLIAMENT will again have licensing legislation to deal with this session, and no doubt the only, oarties considered wiir be the Trade and the Alliance. The public in general will not be reckoned upon, though it is the party most concerned. Instead of repeating the farce of last session, Parliament might do something to regain its lost prestige if it decided to send a capable commission to all countries where reforms on a national scale have been successfully tried. These countries will not include America, but wall embrace several Continental places. In the Monthly Notes the famous secretary of the Temperance Legislation League points out that new systems of sale and supply have been devised and established which bring no repressive compulsion to bear upon public requirements and tastes, but which destroy the antagonism between private and public interests by eliminating the former. This is the point we have been labouring for years, namely, that out of the factor of private profit in the sale of intoxicants arise most of the dreadful results of the abuse of liquor. That our members of Parliament should for ; L he most part be ignorant of these important and successful experiments is amazing, and by no means creditable. For their own enlightenment, as well as for the economic and

i cvpr of the 'norniniort, they would be wise to send a level-headed commission abroad. And by , levelheaded we do not mean an equal dumber ofopposing cranks and mercenaries, but preferably men of the type and training j suitable for the personnel of a judicial committee.