LICENSING ISSUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19443, 31 October 1925, Page 8

LICENSING ISSUE

MR. JOHN COULL’S ATTITUDE A MATTER FOR THE ELECTORS DISSOCIATED FROM POLITICS. During the past few days the liceni sing issue has been brought beforo (Wanganui candidates for Parliament bv i deputations from the New Zealand A; liance, which organisation is working for tho abolition of the liquor traffic. jAt the meeting of Mr. John Couil’s supporters held last evening the matter dealt with by the deputations was .referred to by a number of speakers. .'The chairman (Mr F. K. Turnbull) said that it was a mistake to let. the licensing issue interfere with politics. Tho two issues should be kept entirely sepjarate. It was not right that a matter i winch was in tho hands of the electors to decide should be made a personal (matter with tho candidates. Mr. Coull's i committee had striven to win the Wanganui seat for Reform and for nothing else. The section was not tho only one which had asked for support and tho Reform Party in Wanganui had taken tho only fair and reasonable course of leaving the licensing issues entirely to the electors. Mr. John Coull said that he stood first and foremost to win the seat for Reform. He had nothing to hide. He was the nominee of the Reform Partv, and of no other section. He had been asked to sign certain pledges with regard to the licensing issue, but he had refused. He had stated frpm the public platform that the licensing issue was ono for the electors and entirely foi them and he held to that. view. He was prepared to support the law of the country as it stood. If tho electors desired a change in the licensing Jawj and siaid so at the ballot box he would bo one who would strive to see the laws enforced. Mr. Coull said that he desired to make it quite clear that the New Zea land Alliance was not the only secticu which had msked for support. There was the other side as wen, but he L'..iu adopted iho same attitude right through. The licensing issue could run parallel to the political issue, but the two should be kept entirely separate. (Hear, Lear). "Let us return to power men who have tho interests of tho country at heart, put our faith in them, and we will have three years of cleanliness and confidence,” concluded the speaker. (Applause). Mr. G. P. Holland supported Mr. Coull’s views in tho licensing matter. He stated that ho had been a worker for prohibition for many years. The attitude Mr. Coull had adopted was. in his opinion, tho only fair and right one. Tho licensing issuo was for the electors to decide, and if tho candidate gave it as his intention to enforce and support tho law of tho country as it stood, what more could be asked of him? Mrs. Chesswas said that she was a worker for prohibition, but she was absolutely opposed to it being made a party issue. (Applause). There was no reason whatever why the two issue.could not bo kept separate.