CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14712, 18 September 1918, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

LICENSING ISSUE.

(To the Editor of the Herald.) Sir, — Mr. p, J. Barry, m his letter m your last night's issue, makes it clear that neither ho nor any other responsible member of the trade authorised any canvasser to persuade people to sign their petition hy saying that prohibitionists like myself and others had signed it. I accept Mr. Barry's disclaimer, nor did I think that he would approve of such action, so I hope it will not be resorted to again.' The reason why we so strongly object to the three issues on ' the liquor petition is this : The National Efficiency Board has made it clear that the present condition of things is most unsatisfactory,' and they recommended tlie clear-cut issue of national prohibition as>.the most effectual solution of the problem, but considered that the people must decide it. Then comes the Trade with its three issues 1 on the ballot paper, which would almost certainly result m no issue being carried, and things would have to go on as they are. We should have carried ho reform, and we should, on this question, "have the spectacle so contrary to our British democratic institutions, though so common' m Germany, of minorities Controlling majorities. Mr. Barry makes too great a claim when he regard* votes cast for National Ownership, as being necessarily on the side of continuing the traffic. Let me remind him that many might vote for State ownership with the object of lenv. ing the State to decide whether to prohibit the sale of liquor or not. It was m order that the Government m England might prohibit the trade during the war and: demobilisation that such a powerful paper as the London Spectator advocated State ownership. Public opinion lin New Zealand is not at all like] v to be so strongly m favor of the sale of liquor beincc carried on by the State that it could secure &' majority vote over, Nai tional Prohibition and National Continuance. It is- 'quite clear that, a ballot paper . with the three issues,' as sujj- j gested by the'limror -petition, would not result m the will o£ the people being given effect to', nor. -would it help the cause of national efficiency. — TJ!ouvb. e tc, x F.; W' ■ CHATTERTON.