LICENSING CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10082, 21 September 1918, Page 8

LICENSING CAMPAIGN

LABOUR POLITICIAN'S VIEWS .NATIONAL OWNERSHIP, CONTINUANCE OR PROHIBITION? An interesting statement was made by Mr J. McCombs (member for Lyttelton) to a "New Zealand Times" reporter in respect to the* licensing campaign. Mr McCombs said:—l congratulate tho president of tho New Zealand Labour party, tho Hon. J. T. Paul, on the decision 01 tho party (which, I'understand, was unanimous) to circulate a petition asKing that the people's electoral rights suouid bo restoreu to them, and tliac a general ©lection laise place j m the eany part of liny. 'lno t'urtner Doution asiviug for a democratic voto on licensing isoues, witn preferential votni" by the single transieraoie vote, is exc*eeo.in&y opportune. Xlie electors should certainly oe given a right to say Vnetlier they wmn pronibition with compensation (the National Eilieieney Board's . proposal), or whether the licenses which terminate in June next shall be the last licenses issued, and that compensation shall not be paid for refusing to issue new licenses, in these circumstances, and in view oi the fact that a polition id being circulated asking that State ownership shall be an issue on tho ballot-paper, it is desirable that tho Legislature should see to it that the will of the •people should be clearly ascertained on the various issues. The supporters of the National Efficiency Board's pro posal are quite within their rights in asking that their proposal shall be submitted to tho peoplo, but they cannot logically deny the same rights to other peoplo. Tho supporters of national ownership arc equally entitled to petition to have thoir proposal placed on tho ballot-paper, provided tho method of voting is a fair one and not a trick of the "trado" to secure continuance by a device which, if 260,000 electors voted for prohibition and 260,000 for State ownership and only 15,000 for continuance, continuance would be carried. If Parliament is "to ascertain the true expression of tho opinion of the people" and tho people are to bo given the "opportunity of stating their honest and conscientious convictions upon tho question" with "a majority of electors to decide the issue" as set forth in the liquor party's petition, which has beon endorsed by- tho Moderate League, then these two parties can have no objection to the Labour party's proposals to have a vote on fair and democratic lines.

Tho sincere State-controller, also, can have no objection to a ballot-paper which will make the carrying of State control not only possible but absolutely certain if a majority of tho electors so desire. The prohibitionists, like myself, can have no objection to a method of voting which will givo tho electors the right to vote the traffic out by voting to refuse to grant new licenses after next Juno, when the present licenses terminate. Prohibition is a world-wide movement, and has been carried in every other place without compensation. I might say that the Woolston Social Democratic Party, of which I am a member, has decided to link up with tho New Zealand Labour party, and that I shall have pleasure, as a member of the New Zealand Labour party, in helping to secure the restoration of electoral rights to the people and the granting of a democratic vote on tho licensing question.