AFTER THE FIGHT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 276, 20 November 1908, Page 5

AFTER THE FIGHT.

ADVICE TO THE PUBLICANS. [from oan roKKESPONDENr.'I - - * • <yHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 19. Commenting on the local option poll, The Press says:—lf the members of "The Trade" are satisfied with the position, as disclosed in the local option polls held on Tuesday, we can Only say that they are grateful for very small mercies. To those who, like ourselves, are ■ not partisans of either side, and can therefore take an impartial view of the position, it is clear that the No-license - party have made great strides, and that their boast that, in'two or three more polls the greater part of -the Dominion will have carried no-license is by no means beyond the bounds of possible fulfilment. If the licensed victuallers' trade- is.-to be saved in New Zealand it will not be by a distribution of partisan. literature and the delivery of platform speeches, but by the removal of every element to which reasonable exception can be taken by the great class of "moderates." The latter; do" not object to a man's getting "reasonable, refreshment. Every time, however, a drunken man is seen in. the streets,: especially if he is a young man, votes are diverted from continuance to no-license.':' If the open bar system were abolished it would, in our opinion, practically remove the objections to the trade from the moderate, party. *What they particularly object to is the fact that young men, in some cases their own sons, waste both time and money by loitering in front of bars, talking with the (barmaid or drinking merely for the sake of drinking. ' If this 'could be stopped'it would deprivel the prohibitionists of half their armoury. The profits of the: hotels might be a little lessj but .assuredly unless something is done to conciliate public opinion there will in all probability be a still further strengthening of the no-license vote. ■■....