A NO-LICENSE AUTOCRACY TIES THE GREAT TEMPERANCE FORCES OF THE DOMINION TO SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CHARIOT WHEELS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 677, 30 November 1909, Page 9

A NO-LICENSE AUTOCRACY TIES THE GREAT TEMPERANCE FORCES OF THE DOMINION TO SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CHARIOT WHEELS.

Sir.—ln to-day's issue of your journal, you report-Mr. Dawson as saying that it must be understood that the convention did not claim the power to' vary the agreement that the Now. Zealand Allianoo Executive has made with "the Trade."' One is naturally led: to ask, if this is the real.position of affairs, what was the 'use of summoning a convention fat all? The statement, however, bearsout. tho statement made .by.' tho' Prime . that all final decisions of disputed interpretations of said agreement, should be decided'by Dr. I'indiay, a rather remarkable ■ method ■ for shrewd men of business to adopt.. • Now, a word or two;about conventions..The party works: under. leagues, No-License conn-, oils, ■ provincial conventions,- and' colonial coil-' yentions. The 'first-named are composed' of.' members who subscribe some stated sum annually. No-License councils' are composed of, delegates,. from these leagues. and other temperance' organisations in a: district!' .These councils meet monthly. Provincial 'conventions are. composed of delegates of all societies in a 'province, _ and meet annually. While colonial conventions are composed of two delegates from.every electorate.in the colony, generally .elected 'by the aforenamed councils, these last-named- conventions are practically tho parliament of the No-License party. J, may add that - the executive of the alliance also, hold , seats, and ' vote in these - ''colonial ■ conventions." '' - ; ' ■ • Now, there was'one of. these colonial conventions : hold_ in. Cliristchurch in June last. This convention discussed the political' situation, ' and . finally resolved, 'by & unanimous vote, to. demand from; the Government. "Dominion option by bara majority,".'and-further-'' mora :instruoted the' executive to prepare two Bills, and-havo them, introduced as soon as Parliament opened. The two Bills were prepared, and, singular to state,, were, placed, in Mr. Laurenson's hands,:. who happens to be the Government, Whip. I iua.v pass this fact' ■by •by merely. <s?emarking that Whips to Governments rarely inconvenience their ■ masters.' This placing tho temperanco; business in the hands of Mr. Laurenson appears to be a strange way of furthering the Bills. The next step appears to have been that the Prime Minister, who, .as is well, known, has riot the least sympathy with'tho temperance party, sets Dr. Findlay the task of arranging a compromise of course with no other object than-help-ing the Government to get rid of what-to them at'; liny -rate, was a difficult question. That he.was.only too successful, in his.mission the i publio now know; Of'course, the terms of the stupid compact came like a "bolt from the blue" on the temperdnco men and women who had attended in thousands the : mass meetings recently / held! in Dunedin,.. Christchurch, Auckland, and more recently in Wellington, whero they heard .the'- declamatory speeohes of Spragg, 'Dawson,,Adams, Isitt, and others on. the .iniquity of minority rule,.and their.'fcrvicL.protestatibns that"they would'submit no. longer to such an undemocratic; and. inequitablo ,arrangement ;, in' l the future. • , , : : y X'On'the'compact mado^by 'this executive with the brewers becoming .known, protests came from various parts of .the 1 colony, and lis though.-ashamed; of their work thev next: .proceed to get 'a . sanction, for what- thoy. . had done from - private called by . circular of their'own. Ih°se attending these meetings were told that no criticism nor lesclntions would be allowed, although, somo . questions would be ■ permitted. Garbled.- reports of these :meetings plied the press. _ Now. we. liavo had a convention . closcd to tho press, • called, and 1 in : -au irregular manner, too.. First, it is called hurriedly. Secondly, only one delegate.is called where two are entitled. Then these delegates that are sent are known to be to the oxecUtn-o. . ro..g«t over" the unconstitutional aspect of this or,e-3ided arrangement, they permit eaoh delegate to. have two votes. Then a gross, act of .discourtesy - was >■- tendered myself and fe low delegate.'(Mr. Walsh), both of us being, duly appointed <to attend, the convention by two largo public meetings held in Auckland to ..protestagainst any compromise with the trads. rius rude .treatment.' is all tho more remarkable, inasmuch as it is the. invariable rule, to extend. such' courtesies to all Temperanoo, men,_with the right to'speak, if not to .vote. In this case, although wo. were promised that tho convention 'would be consulted,' tho ohairnian s'ruling; only was taken. ■ X may. here state that on-our way .to Wellington i delegate informed mo that we. would, not be allowed'to attend., .' Now, why all this secret caballing,- these private meetings called by circulars, these irregularly caled conventions, if our'executive is acting ;■ wisely? This ignoring of,public meetings now, vhen a tew weeks ago they vtero ■ appeal--1 j g i u i ~T licrc •><> only ouo reasoh', aM -that is: tho executive has in. some mysterious way; been won. over, by tho Ward- Mm. isti.y. In conclusion,. I say that an irregiiltr unropresentativ.o convention should not annul' the decision 'of a .properly constituted- and thoroughly representative convention liko that' held lU:Jnno last. And, secondly, the execushould again arrange a;,'series of publio meetings in the same way as they did recently at the four centres, and see if their excuses and' explanations of their marvellous backdown will b§ considered satisfactory and condoned by tho; same public whoso recent commauds they have so utterly ignored. ■ If thev' do not do these two ; things, , then, so far as the pubho are, ooncerned, they will, only seek to hide, their conduot from the public, or in other words,' wish to remain- in the dark be-' cause their actions wiU not bear the light of public discussion.—l am, etc.,;. WILLIAM RICHARDSON. ,' - Chairman, ' :Auckland Temperance, Crusaders. . People's Palace, Cuba Street. .