THE POSITION OF PROHIBITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8700, 20 December 1899, Page 4

THE POSITION OF PROHIBITION.

AS VIEWED BY MR "TOM" TAYLOR. Interviewed by a representative of the Christchurch Press as to the recent local option poll, and asked if he considered it the defeat of his party, Mr T. E. Taylor said: — "There are nineteen men in the House just elected who are prepared to concede us our whole legislative demands, which include colonial option and control of all forms of licenses, including chilis, and there are many more than nineteen who would decline to alloiv any retrogressive legislation to be passed. It is stated that as the result of the poll an attack will be made on the present licensing legislation in the direction of llie abolition ot tho reduction vote. That change the prohibition party will welcomo, and have declared for it at most of their Conventions. They will welcome it because in 1896 only 15,000 electors out of 250,000 who polled cast their votes for reduction apart from no license, and that fact satisfies us that as an issue people have no real interest in it. When I hear it suggested that a demand will be made to repeal the triennial poll, substituting jjve or sevenyear periods at which to submit the question to the people, I do not think

that if the Government had a majority much greater than they possess they would be foolish enough to make the attempt, and I am certain that if the attempt were made it would mean the ruin of nny party, for this reason, that it would immediately constitute a grievance that would appeal to the sense of justice of the whole of the people of the colony. The enormous increase in the no license vote throughout the colony in itself will be sufficient to render any attempt to seriously interfere with tho existing power of the people very hazardous. lam having the figures drawn up nud sent to members of the House. Out of the returns for 39 electorates availablo on Friday, we find that the liquor party's vote has decreased by 5000 votes compared with 1896, while the no license vote has increased by over 15,000 in the same period. We assume that when the total returns are to hand our total increase will be equal to 20,000 votes in the three years. Our people are exceedingly pleased with the result of the poll, and ac a crowded meeting last night pluns were under consideration for tho next three years. We feel that it is almost providential that no license was not carried in any of the larger constituencies, in view of the political verdict of Wednesday, because there would have been no honest attempts to enforce the law, and there is no doubt the experiments would have been brought into contempt."