STRAIGHT-OUT ISSUE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 9

STRAIGHT-OUT ISSUE.

WET OR DRY? ELIMINATION OP STATE CONTEOL SOUGHT. louring Mr Massey's short stay in Dunedin on Saturday morning tho Hon. M. Cohon, in the absence of local M.P.'s, introduced a large deputation from the Dunedin Efficiency League and the United Temperanco Reform Council. Mr C. Todd said that they wanted the State issue eliminated from the ballot paper. It had been discredited by the small number of votes it recoived at the last poll. The Prohibition party had always been handicapped. First of all, it had to fight the three-fifths majority, ihen it Itad to contend with compensation, and, thirdly and lastly, tho State Control issue. Minister: Do you think the state Control issue would make any difference to the election? Mr Todd: Yes Tho Prime Minister: In what way ? •Mr lodd said it was felt that a great many of their half-hearted voters went for State Control. They asked for a direct issue—wet or dry—with no side issues. Thoy hoped that there would I j° irl_ ore re d herrings across the scent. The deputation also asked for a new roll ar.d compulsory registration. • Minister: Don't ask the impossible. That has been thrashed out m Wellington, and it is in evidence Ju i° Licensing Commission that it would be quite impossible to get a new roll in time for the general election, in view of the additional work forced upon the Electoral Department by tho alteration of tho boundaries. Jhore are two men at the head of tho Department—Mr Hislop (chief electoral omcer) and Mr Hodgkins (deputy-chief electoral officer) —who are just as reliable mon as you can find anywhere in New Zealand.

Mr Todd: I understood that all the machinery was in readiness in Wellington. I have evidently been Under a misapprehension. The Prime Minister: I want a perfectly clean roll. I don't want a single namo on the roll that should not be there. I want everybody's name on it. Mr H. S. Adams said that in regard to tho new roll he would like to say that he had met Mr I'lislop and Mr Hbdgkins and accepted those officers' about a matter of this kind. The Prime Minister: So do I. Mr Adams Baid that in their opinion the State Control issue was only a votesplitter. They wanted a straight-out fight, and so have the whole thing eet-

The Prime Minister, in- reply, said he had very little to say. This was not the first deputation he had had on the same subject. The same points had been raised previously, and the answer was simply this: Cabinet decided some time ago--he would not say that it was a definite decision—that there would bo no Licensing Bill during the coming session. The deputation evidently did not know what a Licensing Bill meant in the last session of Parliament. Nothing was more difficult to get passed into law. He would submit the deputation's proposals to Cabinet again. EDe said the same to a deputation at Invercargill on Fridav morning. He would give Cabinet another opportunity 0 f dealing with the matterHe wished them to understand definitely that this was no party question. Every Licensing Bill was placed before the House, and every member could vote as he liked on it, and there would be no exception to the rule if this Bill came before the House.