EXPLANATION WANTED.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1588, 17 March 1919, Page 4

EXPLANATION WANTED.

On Thursday, April 10, Ihe liquor referendum is to be taken. From the social, economic, and financial standpoints it involves an issue of unparalleled importance to New Zealand. The result will be awaited with intense interest by Imperial peoples everywhere. But the Government intends to tax our patience. According to a report which we published on Saturday, the figur6s are not to be given out until all the voles, including those of the soldiers outside the Dominion, are in. The newsdistributing agent, the Press Association, has beep notified to that effect, If the Government persists in this policy, it will mean indefinite delay in announcing the result and no progress reports. Why the local situation should not be stated it is difficult to conceive. In Parliamentary elections the voting is announced the same evening. The referendum is bound to produce heavy polling, but that is no reason why interim results should not be published as usual. The Government, it is reported, is acting on the opinion of the Solicitor-General in the matter. It may be so, but the public, remembering the Government’s unwarrantable interference with the message recording the armistice, will not be ready to accept the oflicial word without explanation. Unless something at present not visible to the eye of the common citizen stands- in the way, the referendum figures for most parts of the Dominion ought to be made known at least the day following, If the Government holds to the contrary, it should be compelled to justify its attitude up to the hilt. And the community will require a lot of persuading before it can be convinced that equity and public interest demand this mysterious secrecy. Common sense and justice argue that the people should not be kept in suspense one moment longer than is absolutely necessary. If there is good ground for delay in publishing progress results, it should be stated immediately. Personally, we have no great confidence in the Ministerial assertion.