"THE PRESS" COMMENTS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12405, 21 November 1908, Page 2

"THE PRESS" COMMENTS.

Special to "The Culonist." | Christchurca, Nov. 20. j Commenting o;i tho local optioD poll "Ttiß Press ' saj-3 : — ''lt members of 'tho tradtt' are satislied with the p aition as (ii:clo3o>l in the local option polls bold on Tuesday, we can only say that t'-ey are gratefvil for ver,v snvll nit'rcii'P. To fiosß, «hr liko oursdlves are not partisans of either srJe. anl can therefore take 'an imp.rital vi.s v of tho p;sition, it iis clyar that tho ni license party jhavo msde. greit striilts, and that jtheir boast that in. tvo or three ] more p'llls the greater part ol tho |Domiiion will h-iva c;irned no license, fs by dt mans b-yond the bounds of possible fulfilmsut. If toe licenssd victuallers' trada is to ibe savßtl ii Now Zoiland it will not jbe by a 'distribution of partisan • literature, and the delivery of platform speaches, hue t)j • the removal of every elemen'- co which raasonivhla exception can bo taken by the great class of 'moderates. ' The latter do not object to a mm Retting reasonable refreshment, but every time, howaver, a drunken man is sejn in the straati, especially if hn is a young man, votes aro Snorted from continuance to m licenseo. If th i open bar sy.stpm we:e abolished it would, in our opinion, practically i-emovn the objections to tho tr;idn from the modprate pnrty. What they I particularly object to is tbe fact that young men. in some cases their own s his, waste both time and money by loitering in front of the burs talking witn tUe barmaids or drinking merely for ths snka of drinking If tlii3 could be stopped, it would ae.priva tho prohibitionists of half tht-ir nimnury. Tbe profits nf tha hotel 3 might ba a litilg lf-ss, but assuredly unless .sometbirg is done t> conciliate Igjpinion, tliero will in all probability bn a still further strengthening of tbe no licensing vote. "