THE LIQUOR PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 10

THE LIQUOR PROBLEM.

MR. FISHER REVIEWS THE SITUATION. : ; "NO-LICENSB:SET BAck 20 YEARS.", With respect to the agreement.andvedat'in regard to the. licensing question! ■ Mr. -Fisher, MJ".;for Wellington Central, 'says' that'.the compact is i soi far-reaching that prio hesitates to express an .opinion'.until the original agreoment is published. 'Tho original,'ho understands, differs from tho published version,' and as: no , member of Parliament has been permitted * to know anything about the compact made, the difficulty of expressing an opinion is intensified, JETowever, iti,seems to him that the whole agreement is- a gamble; and'it is his opinion that the ' No-License movement has 1 been set back twenty years. That, of course, is only a; matter of opinion, and he opinions on that aspect differ very greatly. The No-License party (ho says)- certainly gains on,the reduced majority 'required to 55-lOpths, , , though this, concession will; in his opinion, be eqrially valuable to the License party in No-License districts. He h6lds that that part of the , agreement .which stipulates that the expressed wish of the peoplo at a referendum is to'remain inoperative ; for five j years is intolerable/ This Parliament'has, no J right to eay that\"a: future, vbfe'-of the* people'; to be taken two '.years hehc'.-'.is 'not'to take till fiveyoars after thepbiL" "Wecan have no power,"? comments Mr.' Fisher, "to bind the people'to' some .mandate , which'can 'only "come into operation seven years hence." -.-.■,- According to Mr. Ksher, the rolinquishtnent of the Seduction vote has been a great mistake; but like all the othor term's i of the ; compact opinions, he finds, differ honuvery widely., H« regards-it as a distinct gain for tho, othor. party.-vßut what .looks to him liio the fatal concession is that clause under - which oaoh individual vote for local option ..is : going to . Count as a vote for, No-License-no liquor, i.e., Dominion[prohibition. Under, the proposal,' oven the Churches Mil, he says, be prohibited from using wino for the purpose of the Sacrament. This: concession ; is, in his opinion, 6o SBvere'thiit it would appear that toe loss to tho No-Liconse party will hot by any means be compensated by tho'reduced majority of 55-lMths., ■Hβ ;is.' afraid—but - hopes his- fears aro groundless-rthat under this . arrangement the reform movement will get a distinct setback. .'■ . "■ ■ - v : '.■-. •■■■■■

--"Mr.* fisher.goes' *-bn to say that the proposal, that No-License ehall not come into operation for t\vo years after thfi: carrying of the poll is most." objectionable. The concession would mean that when 55-100ths of tho people" ex. pressly . declare that they do not want any liquor sold:in their district, they havo to endure it for .two years longer, and then,,ten months;before the next poll, they will .have ringing in their ears ! tho Ininentations of the hotel unemployed. . They, will have before their eyes the empty hotels, absolntelv "nrdettable," they will be Told. They will have' tho hot vengeance of ths Trado right ip. to the' election. :At present,"' onco : a disfarict' carries N6Licensa'itTias an opportunity of studying tho reform .for two years..: Now this immensely valuable lever is thi'own away. . '"However," adds Mr. Fisher, "Parliament is not by; any moans bound to observe this-com-pact, and possibly'by the time the proposals, are drafted into a Bill wei may have more knowledge of ,tho situation than at'"present. Why a great reform, , making giant strides, should 'start* to compromise; T cannot 'under-* Stand. ; ;Thi3 'shandy-gaff' arrangement will please'nobody andeud'in smoke. "Perhaps the groat; Temperance vote .will: want to be considered in regard to this matter. In any case, I do hot think any: ■■ Licensing -Bill will phss this session.* .Parliament-.is; not looking for. Work thia_year, unfortunetoly. l ; At' anyrato, •Wβ have encceoded in doing practically -nothing in five 'weeks." : ;*■■■. ■•-..-'. ■■'':''.' ■-"'*. : - ■'