LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 14173, 15 July 1918, Page 3

LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

THE PURCHASE PROPOSAL. HON. 0, W. BUSSEL'S SUGGESUOX. i i In an inter; iew with the Auckland Star on Monday last, the Hon G. W Russell'referred'to the subject of the proposed poll to decided the late of the liquor traffic. new and stalling development which ks taken place with rcgaid to the liquor trade," said Mr Russell, "js o)ip that will cause the keenest inqmn during the tew months For the first time dining tin long and bittci fight of a quartci of a tcntiin the lead i'is of the'tiade on the one side and the exeWhc of {he New Zealand on the othi'i appcai" to hau' come to i gcthei. The leoommendatiou of the National Ethciou} Boaid to take a poll as to the wiping out of the tiade b\ the b.no majoijty \ote is', I undei stand, practicilh accepted 'by both pal ties will remain to be done will be to pioude the machinei) by nhich the \ ote 'tan be taken Arising tiut of the war, cbnditions established for the' protection of oui Soldiers, as well as to promote national economy and' efficicni)'. The feeling thnt 'the liquoi''trade must be dealt with has found expression in two ' dii Actions—first, in the anti shouting legulations, and second') in si\ o'clock closing. It is that m ,bo{h respects the tiade I?hmT becn'lut haid, ahd v as then leaders"apparently seethe' writing on the wall, th»j aie now I picp\ued to at ccgt jho Xatipnal Lffitiencyßpaid'BpiO pioviding that Adequate condensation 'is paid." Tlus/is'WiniaVd byftiic Efficiency Boaid at not Wss than Mmflffl. " ' V"' '""' ''""" Spnjtlic flihci side, the' Alliance dc flrej*lbat National' Prohibition ishall come into fone^without' waiting for'the . four alloWcct'lindor'tllcpK' they aVprcfaied'to place the of lompeusatiqri as a qiii J pro quo'for"' tho loss by tWVFude'of'thal four years' grace, The position/therV , fotfyiwill be>that 1 apparently tho two extremes of tho Prohibition Execute o on: ,tjie, of tho Trade othcr-vill agrco if, indeed, agrccd-to Parsession tojegisiato ou tho lines stated., ■}} B*y«ral Serious Weds. •' 'JThtrosare, however, between extremes ailqrge v mass of people who ' regarded as compromised'of (1) thejtaxpayer's and (2) .the-.nioderates. If the made, that the in- ( te«st <and silfking fund pp, tho four and a Mf.pillions w«e to e be>pro\idcd by" a^faiyef H sal tax, saj, on sugar ( or tca( very ,intorcsting developments' would *-placc. Possibly the, amount may.be taken out ofYhc'Cou Bolidated /Bevehufi witliout *ny§lq3eclai t funfl created 'for tho! interest and sinkW funTottj.tlie i compensation monej. It js mosfcTpro Dable, I think, that the fund will not be provided b} the increases of Customs revenue, but, rather by an adjust of the direct taxation, Whether those, who contribute to the direct taxa tion, in the shapo of land and income tax, wBl be prepared to accept the pro posal remain* to be seen There is, how ev«r, another aspect. Uudci National Prohibition the manufacture and sale or alcohobc liquor would cease. It Would be a serious offence foi an} per son. to bo in possession of alcohol for sale except for 1 sacramental, Indus trial, and' scientific purpoles. Now, tho annual consumption of alcoholic liquoi in New Zealand amounts to over eleven gallons for overy man, woman, and child in the Dominion. Will the people who consume this vast quantity of liquor be prepared to tax themselves in tho in terest of (1) the Prohibition Pdity and W the 1 liquoi trade? That is a pio blein which can only be discovered by a tote of the people. \ toe Only logical Method. question upon flinch T desire to express a'strong opinion is thus That it Tnll not behn anj nay satisfactory fori this vast issue to bo decided upon a general V'estioh submitted'to the pco pie. l ' My opinion is that the propei course will bo foi a'tompletc Bill to be pieparcd, which can be diseased bv Parliament, and in which will be set oiit the entne working proposals of the R'henie, cmbodung all the details as to i oftipcnsation, to whom compensation is to'be paid, and even othei aspect of the mattei. When that Bill has been pasted into law br Paihament a ictcr enlum should be taken to decide who thei i the^ Bill as hnallj passed should tome iiito law. That, of couisc, is the method bv which the icteiendum is taken in SwiUcilaud, the home of the referendum. It is not upon an abstract question, but upon that abstract ques tion (reduced to a Parliamentary enact i ment, that a retcrendum should decide for oi against.' Otherwise the public might vote in tavom of a general principle, but when Parliament had worked that general principle out its details might be to different from what the p'uilic had expected that the electors of

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