THE LICENSING POLL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 287, 7 November 1925, Page 5

THE LICENSING POLL.

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE STATEMENT. The standing committee of the New Zealand Alliance met to-day and adopted the following resolution as a review of the position ascertained so far: “That the outstanding fact emerging from a consideration of the figures is that, whilst the continuance vote has decreased, the prohibition vote has increased as compared with 1922 and, whereas the majority in favour of prohibition as against continuance only was 18,122 in 1922, the figure to-day stands at 22,471, a net gain of 4349. The middle issue vote has also increased, but is even now only about 8 per cent of the total vote cast, and the one thing certain about it is that it does not mean what it says. The Licensing lleform Association expressly urged voters to cast their votes for the middle issue, not because they wished to see it carried, but as an expression of a desire for immediate reform, and that is the only interpretation that can legitimately be placed upon the middle issue vote. All parties have demanded the removal of the State purchase and control issue. The Parliamentary Licensing Committee fully considered the claims made on behalf of corporate control, but did not recommend it as an issue to go on the ballot paper. “On present figures the combined prohibition and middle issue vote give a majority of i 0,107 against continuance ; the combined vote in 1922 gave a majority of 53,849 against continuance. We, therefore, find that tile result of the 1925 poll is that the majority as against continuance has increased by 21,158, ■ 'id yet the present system will go ,n. There is surely something wrong with a ballot paper that produces such extraordinary results under a democratic constitution. “The prohibition vote has increased, . the continuance • vote has decreased, and while the vote for the middle issue has increased, it is still only supported by about 8 per cent of the voters. The public has now three times emphatically demonstrated that it is not interested in the middle issue. The time has arrived when the voters of this Dominion should be given an opportunity of stating their opinion on a straight-out two-issue ballot paper, prohibition versus continuance. “It is certainly intolerable that in a democratic country the liquor traffic should be permitted to continue on a minority vote when succeeding polls have shown a steady increase in a majority definitely opposed to it. The Now Zealand Alliance campaign for educating the public, for developing its work amongst the young, and m preparation for the next poll, will bo continued with unremitting vigour.”