“THOSE ISSUES.”

Southland Times, Issue 20209, 21 June 1927, Page 10

“THOSE ISSUES.”

To the Editor. Sir, —In the N.Z. Alliance asking for a Two-Issue Ballot Paper they are only asking for what over 300,000 electors in the Dominion desire—a straight-out issue of Continuance or the Abolition of the Liquor Traffic. This is only manifestly just, for in the past this greatest of Reforms—the abolition of the liquor traffic—has always been seriously handicapped in many ways. As your leading article says, Mr Coates impressed on the members of the Alliance that the Government was anxious to bring about the reform of the Trade, etc., etc., and you express the hope that the most ardent advocates of Prohibition will see the need for assisting in these amendments in the law making improvements possible. After a long and intimate knowledge of the aims and objects of the N.Z. Alliance, I have never known them offering any obstruction to any effort to reform the Trade. The fact is that well nigh all the improvements that have taken place for many years have been accomplished by the pressure of the N.Z. Alliance on the legislators of the day. All reasonable prohibitionists, I take it, are quite willing to have the holders of licenses to sell intoxicating liquors made to observe the law, which at present is flagrantly broken by selling after hours, selling to intoxicated persons, and to persons under age, and practically breaking the law by having more than one licensed bar, besides encouraging women to drink, which every sane-minded person thinks is a sheer abomination. However, I may candidly say that there are not many who believe that the evils of the liquor traffic can be effectively eliminated from this demoralising business. One way might be to have a better observance of the law—that every license-holder should give a bond for say £5OO, which, should he break the law, he would forfeit that amount; and even then, to escape such a penalty, he would lie more vigorously than ever. May I add that this “Gem of the Southern Seas” will never attain to its proper social, moral and economic height of well-being, until the licensed liquor trade is abolished from the land 1 . Every careful reader of your paper will have observed that while the liquor traffic is always bad, for the last few months it has been worse than usual, and many crimes of a serious nature have been committed whilst the transgressors have been under the influence of liquor.—l am, etc.,