THE QUEENSLAND LIQUOR POLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18990, 11 October 1923, Page 6

THE QUEENSLAND LIQUOR POLL.

It is plainly apparent from the result ol the liquor poll in Queensland that Prohibition has lost considerable ground in that State. This fact, taken in conjunction with the result of the last poll in this dominion, should provide cause for sober thought. As the poll of Saturday last may be the last for some considerable time in Queensland it may be surmised that both the main parties registered their full voting strength. A spokesman of the licensed hotel trade has claimed that the vote was productive of the greatest proportionate majority for continuance in any poll in history. The result, while discrediting altogether the idea of State control, may be viewed, however, rather as an affirmation in favour of reform of the trade in preference to the revolutionary change that .would be involved in Prohibition. If those who are interested in the trade accept it in any other spirit it is probable that they will mislead themselves, as the Prohibition leaders appear tc have done. Tho State Superintendent of the Prohibition League declared that the recent inauguration of eight o'clock closing in Queensland was a factor in increasing the anti-Prohibition vote. It may have contributed to the large vote that w 7 as cast against Prohibition, but so far as it influenced the result in that direction it may bo fairly regarded as v. healthy development. It is the abuse rather than the proper and reasonable use of alcohol which every nation must guard against, and early closing law's have proved to he wise and helpful in tho regulation of the sale of liquor. The beneficial results of the restriction of the hours of sale have been shown in many directions. In New Zealand the decrease in the arrests for drunkenness is no doubt a direct outcome of this reform The Government in Queensland had pledged itself in the event of Prohibition being rejected at last week’s poll, to abolish future polls on the liquor question and to inaugurate reforms. As an earnest of its intentions a start has been made with early closing, and if this reform is followed by other necessary measures for improving the standard of the trade, it will provide a solution more in keeping with British customs and traditions than the adoption of Prohibition would be.