Is Prohibition at Present Practicable.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2076, 3 June 1887, Page 2

Is Prohibition at Present Practicable.

’ J .» I'libiio iiH'e(iii_; hel(’ iu Wolliug fm ni! 1 liinsil.iy, with lliu object ot lormmo :i braiu-li tlinv nt’ tlio Now Xei'.iul I’riiijK'i aißT Alliance, Mr I l ' 11, Fraser, M il. K , .ifdtc'l “ihat over (lu.. million;-) n yiar wa.- '; 11 1 . - ■>’. 'li 1.1 i'.e t ■ ■ i i 1111 v .' ’ (M i- .if -■ iii 1 ■ k - o ii muv ; iii'. 1 included i !u‘i us lu in i uiiiicM, i lie rcuiiiers’ profits •iiiJ a number ot oilier items. Mr Fraser and bis trieiuls depioryd the

lf*. : ■ .r< { no !;u ■ •> ciiopjuoiH n >*um b' Mij; Li.suiu.-wly .pout, aim declared lieu lhe only im i.-dy for the evil was tc ."ivc the people of every district in tec colony the power to prohibit the liquor traffic altogether. Mr Fraser contended that by this means the traffic would be driven out of one district after another and finally be put a stop to altogether. We strongly sympathise with the efforts being made by Mr Fraser and his friends to advance the cause of temperance, but we doubt the power of a compulsory veto to put down the drink tralfic. Public opinion is not yet ripe for the adoption of so drastic a measure as this. 80 long as a very largo proportion of the people in this colony use wines, spirits and fermented liquors, so long will their demands be supplied. It might be possible in time, by moral suasion, and other means to so far influence public opinion in particular districts, that a majority could be found to vote for the abolition of the drink traffic. But it would not be possible to do this at once. Public opinion requires a great deal of further educating on this question, before ’t will come round to the views held by Mr Fraser and his friends. One thing is clear. The direct vote of the ratepayers in the election of Licensing Committees has not had the result of giving the teetotallers a preponderating power in those bodies. A year or so back the temperance party in Wellington elected a committee for the Cook Licensing district, and secured the return of nearly all their candi» dates. Then this licensing committee took away the licenses from three of the Wellington hotels, and had their decision confirmed when an appeal was made against it to the Supreme Court. Last year a new Licensing Committee was elected, the publicans getting in their men, and now it is proposed that new licenses should be granted to the closed hotels, a course which very probably will be adopted. So that the three hotels, which are really not needed, will probably get a start again. This sort of thing shows that public opinion is the Wellington Cook Licensing District is not yet ripe for the direct veto power on the part of the people with respect to the liquor traffic. Still,by continued perseverance and effort Mr Fraser and his friends may yet succeed in the object they have in view. But tlm will telo- '.‘■vis : : "on In iu.