LIQUOR AND LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17067, 27 July 1917, Page 8

LIQUOR AND LABOUR

MB, M'COMBS, M.P., EXPLAINS WHY HE LEFT THE LABOUR PARTY. The reasons that actuated Mr J. M 'Combs, M.P., in severing hid connection with the New Zealand Labour Party are set forth in a letter addressed by Mr to tho secretary of the party. " In compliance with the request of your executive 1 wish to set forth in writing the reasons which compelled me to sever my connection with an organisation which I had hoped would give its undivided attention to the furtherance of Labour and democratic ideals," writes Mr M'Comba. "I cannot question the right of the Labour Party to stand for State control or to ask that the issue be submitted to the people, and as a supporter of the principle of the initiative and referendum 1 could not resist tho placing on the ballot paper of any issue which was supported by a requisition signed by at least 10 per cent, of the electors, all tho issues to bo decided on the bare majority basis. That, I take it, is the democratic position, but it does not "necessarily follow that I should be one of tho 10 per cent, to sign the requisition, nor be a party to requesting that the issue should be placed before the people. Let those who believe m State control form an organisation of their own outside the Labour Party, and then, when they 6ecuro the required requisition, let them petition Parliament. " I am convinced that the Labour Party in Now Zealand will make a fatal blunder by taking the initiative in this matter. To attempt to nationalise a trade which half the people want to see wiped out is bad tactics. It would bo a bad beginning for the national ownership of monopolies to take over a business which to make a financial success of would spell the greater hurt to the people. The greater the financial success the greater the hurt. The prohibitionists, by their years of work, have, in my opinion, not only won the right to hare the issue placed before the people on an unfettered vote, but havo won the right to have their proposal tried. "In support of this contention I wonld remind you that at four successive polle the people of New Zealand declared against continuance of the liquor traffic. The voting was as follows:— ,™* Continuance. No-Hceaso. Majority 1902 ... 148,449 151.524 3,CTO 1905 ... 182,884 -198,768 15,884 1908 ... 188,140 221.471 33 331 1911 ... 205,661 259,943 54,282 "It is true that in 1914, just after war was declared, the people hesitated to disturb the existing conditions, and voted for continuance by a majority of 10,000; but by all the rules of the game the liquor traffic should been long since wiped out, and the issue submitted in 1914 would then have been not continuance or national prohibition, but restoration or non-restoration. Ihere is little doubt what the verdict would have been. " Statements havo been made that the carrying of national prohibition would throw 10,000 employees on the labour market, and this, of course, should concern a Labour Party. The facts, however, are that there are only 1043 barmaids and barmen, and the total number of hands employed 'in tho brewing industry is only 741. Hotel servants not engaged in the bar trade number 4679, and the managers, together with hotelkeepers and relatives assisting, number 2742, but presumably these, or most of would still find employment in their prosent occupations. Anyhow, if the money now spent on liquor were diverted into the useful trades and induetries of the dominion it would give employment to a greater number of persons than it now does. " I would like to warn members that somo of the brewers are very anxious to be bought out, while some of the hotolkee.pers are merely anxious to confuse the issues, and having gained their ends they would havo no more use for a State Control Labour Party. Recently the brewers of Auckland tried to float a company in England, which was not altogether a success From private information received, they know that there will shortly be a surplus of £6,000,000 in the Stat© Treasury, and they are turning greedy eyes in its direction. Now, every penny of that £6,0C0,0C0 is urgently wanted for educational purposes, for increasing the pay and pensions for the soldiers and their dependents, for increasing the old-age pensions and far a number of other purposes. "Wo cannot afford to spend £6,000,000 and more in aequirinsr a business which a majority of tho people havo more -than thrioe vetoed. Tho Labour and Socialist movement throughout the world is coming moro definitely into line against tho drink evil as a hindrance to all social and political progress, and on a matter so vital there can bo no compromise.

"In conclusion, I wish to state that my position is the same as that stated at the Labour Conference, when I said that I would have to work for the Labour movement outsidte an organisation which was lending , itself to £h« furtherance of State control. On matters of policy and on questions of expediency I am willing to fcow to the decision of tho majority, as witness my attitude in the recent municipal oontost, but on questions of principle I claim the right of individual judgment. My political pledges which I mode to my constituents have m no way been violated, and no party has the right to demand that I 9ha.1l acquiesce in a of programme after I am elected. Of coarse, I know that this position would not be challenged by the S.DJP., under whose auspices I was elected."