THE NO-LICENSE ISSUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10062, 29 August 1918, Page 2

THE NO-LICENSE ISSUE

To the Editor "N.Z. Times.” Sir,—Referring to the proposed petition to Parliament; re closing up the hotels and breweries of the Dominion, if it is deemed expedient for' the,- national weal that k vote of the people on this issue should he taken, can Mr Massey or Sir Joseph Ward, os leaders of. the National Cabinet, offer any reason why the Parliamentary elections should not be held at the same time. There would not be a great deal more expense added to the proposed no license vote. ,Ifc would, be the veriest piece of hypocrisy' for to have one and not the other. Personally 1 feel that New Zealand has quite enough on its hands at present without the turmoil and political and religious bitterness being allowed to run amok through the land. It is all very well for a trio of paid stump orators, without any of New Zealand’s responsibilities on their shoulders, to advocate the smashing of our fiscal system. Perhaps they feel that the Cup is nearly full, end that another little drop wouldn’t do any harm, as it is bad enough now, but that is not the point for consideration. There are far greater issues at stake than the gratification of the whims of a narrow section of the "community; vybo, outside of their one and, ' only . viz., prohibition, have shown a pretty callous indifference to matters of- moment. The housewife’s politics at the present time are cheap rent, coal, food, etc., for herself and her children. Would the closing of the hotels, and breweries bent-fit her unless perhaps .she is a drunkard; and we are proud that the percentage of those unfortunate people, whom the allegdly pious mentors have neglected with moral suasion and, advice,, in an exceedingly small one. ’ It is cruel to these good women and mothers .whose husbands and brothers 'are fighting-'our battles in foreign lands that anything which would fend to increase their financial burdens should be. allowed to raise its head. What we want at the present juncture is statesmanship and hot political chicanery. The position is too serious to swap horses in ’mid'stream, and, sir, like Sandy, I’m a "wee- bit (saspeeoious" of the coterie -who are nisping the "Aqua Pura’’ stunt. There is a substrata which is hidden for the moment from a policy standpoint but which will assuredly-'come uppermost later on if an appeal to the people is made on the single issue. The Efficiency Board, Board of Trade.'and other high-sounding creations of the National Cabinet have given us very poor results indeed.. -But after all they are composed of human beings whose experience has been limited by the insular surroundings of our little islands. Still, collectively speaking, I suppose their opinion may be styled as perhaps I may say, authoritative. The three Canadians who are lecturing throughout New Zealand at present cannot find much amiss here as compared with the place they came from. We are not a cute smart people, but we nave shown the world that we can produce as valiant an army-as ever faced -a foreign foe, and our workers throughout New Zealand have risen to the occasion tn respect of uniform, etc. If we w*e such an intemperate lot of people as the

prohibitionist has endeavoured to make us out to be, the splendid results New Zealand has achieved during this present war could never have been obtained. The glass of rum, -wine or beer, which the armv has allowed to soldiers fighting m all sorts of weather has not done our men any harm. The bane of the son dier is not liquor but something that the nolicen.se party fight shy of. It I* ridiculous to mention the disease. Trustuig that sanity and not hysteria will prevail, and that when Parliament does meet for as short-session the two leaders will- use whatever time they, may have for the alleviation of the financial nre» sure which a generous public has been suffering during the past four years. I etc " SANITY,