THE LICENSING ISSUE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17607, 24 October 1931, Page 2

THE LICENSING ISSUE

LOCAL OPTION POLL ■POSTPONEMENT RESENTED (Per Press Association.) EKETAHUNA, this day. The Borough Council at a special meeting last night took strong exception to'the postponement of the local option , poll, and also to the Prime Minister’s statement in tlio House that he had oiily been approached by Invercargill, seeing that the deputation referred to contained members from the Masterton electorate. The council unanimously resolved that it emphatically favors Mr. Ward’s bill being made law on the ground that local option was a different matter to national prohibition; that tlio people of the Dominion had no opportunity to express an opinion on postponement; that the suggestion of a postponement came from interested partite, the New Zealand Alliance and the liquor party executive.., and these did not represent .the views of the electors; that a postponement of the poll adversely affects trifle in various districts and yetted rights of individuals in a way apparently not considered by Parliament; and that the postponement Act \vf\fe hurried through Parliament without proper consideration, and made a party issue when it had always been ’understood that, the qnestipn was ohtsvdo party politics. A further resolution regrets that the Prime Minister personally was hostile to the loc.ftj option amendment, and considers tliut hpi took undue advantage of his ppgjj/ion as Prime Minister in respecj to the postponement; that Mr. Ward and Mr. 'Langstone be complimented on. the stand taken; and that the jncij|be.r * or ibe district be requested to sripport the amending bill.