THE CAMPAIGN TO COME.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 6

THE CAMPAIGN TO COME.

NO.LICENSE.MASS MEETING. ..V - • NEW LEGISLATioN ..WANTED. 7. In: response to" the call.of No-License, leaders, a mass rrieeting.was held in the Town -Hall, last evening, the big building being crowded. 1 The object of the meeting was to put'forward the new legislative; demands;which tho'.party"•- is formulating.. Amongst those, present were .'the Chinese Consul (Sr. Yung Liang. Hwang), re-, presentatives of the various'churches',' and Mr. E. : A. Wright, M.P. ".''.'■; '; , The chair was , : occupied by Mr. Wesley Spragg,' of Auckland (president of "the New Zealand Alliance).: Mr. Spragg was greeted'withapplause,, and read apologies form the Hon. A. . T. Ngata, who stated that he.had hoped to be present as he desired to show his interest in : the meeting, especially as to the question' relating to his own'people. Messrs.' 11.I 1 . W. Isitt . and T..E. Taylor, M.P., forwarded apologies for -their inability to attend. Mr. Spragg went on .to say.that the, No-License partv wore certain to win.' No one seriously dispuled the justice of their cause, although some had tried to ridicule it. The'movement..was world-wide,/and . evorj.wh'ei'e. the qi.estion wis up for settlement, aitd'up for final settlemeht:;:soon.,. 7 Although .they, had had to .struggle., in the past against a ! rather general belief that "liquor had got to stay with us, it was .how generally admitted that it had to, and miist, go.' And to say, that ■'tliß traffic should only be wiped out-'by a tHreer : fifths'- majority 7was merely a relic bf/barbar'jfein. • The speaker went on .to deal.;with' the 'evils- oiy the .'trade', and, proceeding,'.gave it as i his opinion-' that the great mass of ■ the people ■ recognised that .the bare majority lvas the'-fair 'tesl. ; : fAppln'nse.)./The- party had 'no quarrel with .-the men or. the women l '' in ' the '--'liquor ; trade,' but their, quarrel was with the,'system. This .was the fourth meeting of a series,' and it -was .fitting that Wellington, should; say the ,last word as far. as the centres.were concerned m these meetings. The'resolutions-put to the inieetings at Christclinrch, Auckland, and Dun'e'djn had, he might state, ?been carried unani'mbusly. ' - ' Mr. A: S; 'fldams: T(ie Bare .Majority... Mr. A. S. Adams commenced'-his- remarks by. stating that the people here and elsewhero were. at. death : grips ■ with-the. liquor ■ .traffic. There "was". only one.,principle .on 1 which'ques;tiohs of popular interest, were decided,.and.that swa's .the .majority, vote," and the .time; was 'ripe -for a change, : froin. the three-fifths' -majority system. . Ever-;sirice 1893' the party had mever. frora their belief in .the righteousness 'of a bare majority decision'.-. The bulk 1 of tho jpe'oplo were now with the .'movement, .and lie .wished them, "to join in inducing Parliament .to 7 them, the legislation which'they required.. He.could not sen how the legislators ■had not. giveh: them what they wanted'before,' but he did not. think that;,even: the-hard-to-politicians could withstand ..the,demonstrations mr:de at tbemeetin'gs;held at'Dunedin, ;Christchurch, Auckland, and now at Welling- • ton. ;■•-He rnoyed: '."That.;thisVmeeting 'affirms that the time has now cbhio when the question ;of the jicensing'polls should bo decided.by the bafo majority vote, and urges on Government iind. Parliament the respectful • demand -for immediate legislation' to secure' this, reform." ; : ; Continuing;. Mr:-.A'dams' stated that-it had been -held.'by, some" that a.reform'snch: as the 'reform. 7in -licensing, matters, could' ;be ycUrried. by-a;mere.;wavc'of. enthusiasm,.,but lie combated this suggestion if it .was'applied* to No-License. and its staunch following:..-. The three-fifths.-majority was forced upon the NoLicense "party, and, at no stage of its'career (despite assertions to. had the ' teraporance jiarty, acquiesced' in■ the'imposition' of tbis handicap.' The party had s'penttheir time, their money, and fifteen years of their lives to bring" about this reform,- and :ye't thoy could not'get-an even expression .of public opiriioh'on.the'iiquor'question.' l Manr'people had 'hot originally, understood what the. party setout to -do, ( and many' considered the'ehahge which they, aimed' at just a mere experiment. But there was no' theory about the movement now,ffor it'hadbeeri fbrind'tha't the No-License. ;movement was a .triumphant success.'' ."(Applause.) -The demand-for a bare, majority had now, he was: glad to say, full force of public opinion- behind'it;, aud the .party; must get -what was asked." Tho. experiment had been tried for fifteen years at .Clutha, - and to-day the Liquor party, dare not even mention the .name or Clutha'.-..'. -"'. .-.■.".-.■ "" : ;"",'.•.",'•■ '7'After.,-,referring.to:the position of offairs at fnvercargill;.;.a.nd' i .Oamaru, ,Mr. Adams ■:had sotnetliing to say in reference to .the, assistance which'the'pnblic might receive'-from the press. He did not "know' much about :the Wellington papers; br,',what.-lead they would give-..theVpub-lic/'biit' h'o"w ( ould' ask the: peoplo'pf 'thbeity. to; examine.;the shara list of one' of their, lead-ing-dailies,' and then ask themselves if.ft;-was possible that,any;unprojudice.d'.statement.'could be mndo by 'that paper .iii reference'..';'to 'the liquor .They :did not expect", very ■much-from-tho papers; They; (the -party) were looking, to the peoplo to. come along, "got the lover of public' opinion under': tho ■Legislature, andmove it. •"■ 'If- it; would not move; they must'throw-;'it':-"' (Applauso.) ".'•-'' ' ',;;',.. The.resolution.jWas seconded-by. J. 'Dawson, w i hb;;,shld^.the7'pal•ty;,was- asking/'no favour,, but,-wne-...demanding-''its', rights;: :.The pebple. should, declare; that7they' 'Would .'-not any .longer-. by the iniquity'-of the three-fifths' majority,''aiid'.the'timo'had : come when they should demand of Parliament that which the resolution, contained. • '7. The chairman; then-:asked' the meeting. 1 for a show of;, hands,: and .a .forest--of hands went up- for the resolution.-' The "noes" were then called l for, "and no hands went up. The chairman declared the'resolution carried' unanimously.'.; - ■;. , ■'-.■

''. R ?V-1 l^'S-Gray:: Dominion Option. '■; yEev7 E.J.S.,,'Gray, 'Christchu'rch,. was : eiitrusted with, the, next"resolution. • After congratulating, the Nc-Licenso party on the.progress.mado,,,and• touchiog on the liquor question, in general termß,- the speaker proceeded to refer, to the position in AshbUrtbn,-and quoted cases to bear out the plea.for a'Dominion vote. He moved:."That-this .meeting supports ■ the .demands, of-the No-License,- party for legislation to.prbvide. for, taking a Dominion option poll tnennially on the licensing cruestion, in addition to the .Local Opton Poll, and B TW Government and Parliament to-give m ™W,« ..^ ec t 1 to '' these demandsof .the party." ~M r- . Gilbert. Carson, of ...Wanganui,' seconded the.resolution, which was carried unanimously.•

;Mr. L:M.;lßitt:Thß;K|rig Country.;, - Mr- -Isitt. spoke at -some length on the question of King Country licenses, prefacing his remarks with a summary of.the history of the reform in New Zealand.' Tho progress of the .past showed them victory' was comin" in the near future. The party had always protested, against the three-fifths majority,-but, like sensible people, .when, they could not get 'the barer majority, • they took the next best thing, The handicap of the three-fifths; majority, was in .virtue.,instead of in vico,-w.hich made for misery and degradation. He'moved-.— "That' those .present ut this' meeting express .their.deep-indignation at the.violation of the solemn promise given to the -Natives by the New Zealand Government that no 'liq'nor licenses should ever be granted in the King Country. They call upon the representatives of every section of the Christian Church, and all-press editors,:and members' of Parliament to whom . the; welfare of tho Maori ..race and the honbur,of ; this■', nation is . dear, to;urge hpon.7the Bovenrment ;to, ;at once introduce -.legis'lation ,'to 'annul ;the, licensee. granted, and to remedy .thisevil."'; - ~'.,. '■:.;.-

..'. Speaking tO;,the Mr. Isitt,thought .it must appeaX.,to' everyone with .any regard for national honour or truth,' of-word. -If- the' big'liquor men\had.any sense .of. honour, or.de.sire. to save' their .trade, from reproach,', .they; should, be-as .'enthusiastic as the most' enthusiastic No-License advocate fa getting the evil ; undone, and the Native people saved from the degrading. : influence of -wholesale . licenses. Everyone must: admit that'it was a cruel thing to bring. liquor to the Natives.'•.■':la .the King 'Country, I they'were not,'.fighting the. people. They were' fighting certain . big merchants, whose trade would be affected if .tho liquor was kept.put, of the Country. The So-, License 'party .was. not ..going, to sacrifice the Maori,roce'.to.the diseased appe!4te,of;.any'man or any number of men. (Applause.) 'V '. The ■ Eevi 'A. Dewdney-seconded the' motion, Which was carried on. the voices', only one man dissenting.. : :' : .' ';.■•.•'. • ■-. - ".'•,.■ ,'".-' The meeting closed with votes of thanks to the chairman, .the speakcra, and the helpers, and .broke-up amidst cheers. _'--.; .