LIQUOR CONTROL SCHEME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18877, 1 June 1923, Page 8

LIQUOR CONTROL SCHEME.

DEPUTATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER. (From Our Own Correspondent,! WELLINGTON, May 31. Yesterday afternoon a deputation representative of certain Church of England clergymen, the Moderate League, chartered clubs, and the trade waited on the Prime Minister with a view to stating the details of their scheme for corporate control in the liquor trade. The deputation was private; The issue is likely to come before Parliament during the coming session, most probably in the form of a petition, which would in due course be referred to one of tho Petitions Committees of the House of Representatives or to a special committee for consideration and report. HON G. FOWLBS’S VIEWS. “BESTING THE PROHIBITIONISTS.” (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, May 31. The scheme for the reform of the liquor trade by vesting it in a corporation on the directorate of which the State would be represented by a majority of members, was commented upon by the Hon. George Fowlds. “The report of the suggestions for tho reform of the liquor trade, approved By a conference of associated clubs, the Moderate League, the brewers, the wholesale wine and spirit merchants, retail hotelkeepers, and the freehold owners of licensed houses, will not surprise anyone who has been watching tho newspaper accounts of the brewery amalgamation proposals of the liquor trade,” said Mr Fowlds. “Having their arrangements completed, it was to be expected that other branches of their defence organisation should speak, and so prepare tho public mind for tho next step in the process of beating the prohibitionists. Tne scheme as propounded is very subtle, and displays a great deal of ability in its preparation. If accepted by the people of New Zealand it would probably increase the task of those who are working for the deliverance of the dominion from the evils of the liquor traffic.. The weakness of the proposal lies in the supposition that New Zealanders are simple enough to adopt it. Any Government or Parliament which attempted to trifle with nearly half of the voters of this dominion by trying to make them partners in tho liquor business would have a rude awakening. The prohibitionists are pot fighting the people who are engaged in the liquor trade, they are fighting the trade itself; and they know full well that liquor will do the same deadly work whether it is sold by a barman or a bishop. Most people give those at present in the trade credit for trying to run their business decently. Indeed, their own interest demands such efforts, but everybody knows how deadly the liquor business 'is. It other people do not know the prohibitionists do know that any system of State control is very little if any better than private control. The experience of British Columbia would indicate that in some respects State control can be worse than priyate control. The new move, of the liquor traffic and their friends will require careful watching, and I have no doubt it will be carefully watched.”