THE LICENSING QUESTION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6631, 9 June 1928, Page 3

THE LICENSING QUESTION

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your issue of Juno 2nd., Mr J. Gordon Eliott, M.P., is repotted as dealing with the licensing question and advocating a referendum on the question of the form that the referendum should take. This method of dealing with the problem lends itself to interesting developments. If it is fair to spring such a referendum on the electors, w'hy should we not go one better still and say—“ Let us have a referendum. on the question of whether the referendum recommended by Mr Eliott should be taken.”

We notice that while Mr. Eliott suggests that the people should be asked whether a bare majority vote or 17-) per cent., 52) per cent, vote should settle the liquor question, he docs not toll us what sort of vote is to settle this retfer6ndum of his. Is the voting on these two issues to be loaded, and if so, in what proportion? That is to say, have the bare majority advocates to get 52) per cent, of votes in order to win, or those who advocate the 53.) per cent vote on the liquor question to impose this condition if they secure only the bare majority of votes on Mr Eliott’s referendum. It would surely be the height of absurdity to allow a bare majority of votes to impose a 52) per cent load on those wdio want to settle the licensing question. Mr Eliott stated that he is willing-'to abide by the decision of the majority, but he is apparently not willing to abide by a majority in the House of Ecprescntatives. Singularly enough, he desires the people to vote on a loaded majority proposition made .by the Legislative Council, which is not a body of the peoples’ representatives. There was not even a shadow of a mandate for the suggestion made by the Legislative Council.

In general, may I point out that Mr Eliott is incorrect in the way in which he represented corporate control. He has stated that it eliminates private enterprise and also the sale of spirits. It does neither of these things, Ho has stated that he favours a six year poll • because the three-year poll was responsible for the trafficking in licenses, and that by a six-year poll the licensee would have full opportunity to give service to the people. Docs Mr Elliott seriously .ask us to believe that the brewers will allow a licensee to take over a six year tenure for the same price as he now pays for a three year tenure

I would conclude by pointing out that Parliament has never yet given the Dominion the opportunity to say on a democratic basis how they wish the liquor problem settled. The impressive body of public opinion anxious to see the liquor traffic abolished has always had to struggle against some undemocratic handicap. Let Parliament put, the matter into the hands of-the peopls on a basis of one vote ono value and a bare majority to decide, and wo shah then have gone a ste£ "further in the solution of the problem.—l am, etc., J. MALTON MU PR AY,