LIQUOR AND WAR

Nelson Evening Mail, 21 May 1917, Page 3

LIQUOR AND WAR

NATIONAL EFFICIENCY BOARD'S ENQUIRY. ATTITUDE OF THE MODERATE LEAGUE. OBJECTION TO METHOD OF PROCEDURE. In response to an advertisement which has recently appeared in the press asking for notification from those wishing to give evidence before the National Efficiency Board on the question of restriction, abolition, or continuance, during war conditions of the vending of wine, beer, and spirits, the New Zealand Moderate League communicated to the board its desire to be represented, and made certain enquiries regarding the method of procedure to be adopted. The executive of the league subsequently met to consider the board's reply, and as a result determined that iu view of the unsatisfactory and inefficacious nature of the proposed proceedings the league would not be represented before the board. The following are the letters received from the board, outlining the method to be adopted, and the league's 'views thereon, which were forwarded to the board on Thursday morning : , National Efficiency Board, Wellington, 11th May, 1917? Secretary, N.Z. Moderate League, Wellington.

Dear Sir, —I am duly in receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, intimating that your league desires to submit evidence to the board at the liquor enquiry to be held on the 23rd inst. and following days. In reply to your questions I have to advise that the board proposes at this •enquiry to follow its usual practice—i.e., counsel will not be admitted, the enquiry will be held in private, no rights will be granted for the takin gof note" of or the publishing of the evidence, nor will any general intimation Je given to any witness as to the nature of the evidence tendered by previous witnesses. As to limiting the number of witnesses, this point is practically - covered by the concluding paragraph of my advertisement, which states that "it is desired, in order to expedite matters, .that witnesses should appear as far as possible in a representative capacity." Unless there is some good reason, my board would be glad if the representations on behalf of each interest were placed before the board by as few witnesses as possible. Will you kindly let me know as early as possible the names of your league's witnesses and the approximate length of.time which each witness is likely to occupy in making his statement, so that arrangements may be made to ob viate undue delay both to the board and to the witnesses in attendance. In the meantime your application has been , placed in the list, and you will be duly i advised as to when the board will receive your representative or representa- j tives.—Yours faithfully, (Signed) J. T. WATKINS, ■6 Secretary. LEAGUE'S REPLY. After considering this letter at a special meeting, the executive of the *Mod erate League instructed the secretary to reply as follows : Your letter of'Tlth instant, replyinp to the league's queries re conduct and procedure of the forthcoming liquor enquiry, was placed before my executive yesterday, and I was instructed to convey to you their disappointment at the very severe limitations that are to be imposed on those desirous of assisting 'the board to arrive at a sound conclusion on this subject. Under the circumstances my executive have decided not tc take any part in the proceedings on the following grounds : 1. That the league approached Government two years ago, and asked that a Royal Commission should be iel up to enquire fully into the whole of'the liquor question. 2. That the question of abolition or continuance of the sale of liquor is so involved that'to secure its thorough investigation the board oi commission dealing'therewith should be specially appointed for that purpose ; its personnel should be absolutely impartial and not committed in any way, and it should devote its whole time to such investigaiton. . 3. That without impugning the general competency of the National Efficiency Board,* it is plainly evident that the multitudinous other dutie? of the members will not pernrt them to give the necessary time and attention to the many aspects of this very important question. 4. That the liquor question cannot be placed in the same category as other subjects which come before the board, because—(a) It is subject to a popular vote of the people at each general election; {b) it has been a serious political issue at elections for many years past; (c) it is surrounded with strong prejudices; (d) it has a literature of its own which ha= mainly originated from bias on either side. In view of this, my executive holds that every facility should be given to all parties to hear the statements made on-either side, so that rebutting evidence may be brought, if necessary, and the board placed in the position of estimating at their proper value statements which must otherwise be taken as ex i)artc only. My executive also holds that the proceedings and recommendations of a commission affecting a question having such popular aspects would be more likely to carry wibh them the confidence" and support of the people as a whole if made fully public, and not held in camera as contemplated. My executive therefore sincerely regrets that under the circumstances the league cannot take part in the proceedings, and I am instructed to ask you to

record the league's formal protest against the iu efficacy of the nature of the proposed enquiry and the restrictions of procedure imposed, which must inevitably prevent that thorough disclosure of all matters and aspects of the question upon which alone a sound conclusion can be based. ; In conclusion I am directed to point out that the league, since its inception, has given close and thorough study to the liquor question, and has placed before Government definite proposals for the bringing about of competent licensing reform. The league differentiates; between the terms "restriction"-.-and "reform," and is of the opinion thatthe local conditions affecting the particular question of early closing of licensed premises have not changed since this aspect of the matter was before Parliament last session.