TWO MAIN ISSUES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 November 1928, Page 2

TWO MAIN ISSUES

(To the Editor)

Sir,—Your correspondent "A Wayfarer" is I suggest in a fog on this question. He asks does the Prohibition party get a fair deal in the election? "A Wayfarer" is confusing the Parliamentary election and the licensing issue. Under the law for the election of members of Parliament the candidate with the highest individual vote gains the verdict, and of course in many instances he represents a minority of the electors in. his district. However much one may agree or disagree with this method it is the law. There may be five different parties represented in a parliamentary electorate and the electors have the choice of selecting one of them, because there can be only one elected. The voto on the licensing question is only one issue, viz., whether New Zealand will remain ".wet" or "dry." ; Your correspondent surely will agree that that is the question at issue. But the elector has three choices on his ballot paper, viz. "Continuance," "State Control," and "No License,". This is the point where your correspondent gets befogged. There is only the one question to answer viz., "license' or "no license." The Prohibitionist votes no-license, the voters that believe in the use of liquor have two courses open to them : they can either vote for State Control or Continuance. Surely your correspondent does not suggest that a vote for State Control is a vote for the no-license party. The Parliament of New Zealand recognises the fact that before Prohibition becomes law it must have a majority behind it. Suppose the vote is Prohibition 1005 votes, Continuance 1000 votes and State Control 250 votes. In this case the opponents of no-license have carried the election: 1250 voters in effect say that they want the right to have license in one way or the other; 1005 voters say there shall be no license. It is surely clear that by a majority, in this illustration, of 245 votes are against nolicense, where is the unfairness? Can your correspondent show your readers? I am, etc., HUMBUG. Nelson, 12th November.