THE COMPACT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 6

THE COMPACT.

STRICTURES OF THE TRADE. KEPLT Br J\EW ZEALAND ALLIANCE. Tho following statement has boon proparod by tho Re.. A Dowdncj and the Eev J. Dawson, members of the Executive of the Now Zealand Alliance, in roplj to tho strictures of the Trade :—

"In.'view'of the declarations 'and decisions of theVrect<nt;convention 'of the' broworsi, wine aid spirit, merchants,'-and:licensed.«victudllorsi it is desirable .that the other side .of the'posi? tion: should be placed.,before the 'public.' The. origin ;of the now famons_ compact was' in thi? wise, ■■ "'For - years.;: the No-Lic6nse'.-'party has demandedr'from the. Government;, the .'bare majority";and Dominion option in order .that the /liquor ' question':' might be finally ■'; sottled • on democratic basis, and lifted'from ;the sphere of politics. That demand had been' repeated with ■< redoubled< emphasis during, the past. fewv months...; So strongly had • it. been.' insisted upon, even after 'the Prime Minister had/publicly declared truit he conld : hot-do -more'ithan/considor it.during the recess,- that at length' the Hon. Dr. ,I'indlay (at : the -.-in-. stanco 1 of the .'Prime Minister) 'approached- tho officials of. the' party to know if there .ywas any hope /of.; a . modification .of the party's demands, which -might-' result' in a possiblo working .basis_ on' certain' points- which . wero regarded'as vital: by'"both-.sides,'■.such as: .the question of the . majority, 'Dominion option, the > effect: of prohibition, and the time when the. vote/,'of-the people.should'take effect.'"' Tho Gqvernmimt.- knew' what ■ the 'demands. of v'the Temperance' party were,-'.- for they: were 'enj■bo'died in a Bill on the' Order Paper, aiid they did not ask;that the Alliance should surrender any vital principle. '-, But with a viewfto what was .:legistatiye!y-'possible, Dr. Findlay- .asked for "an 'irreducible minimum' on .the points named.. Wc understood that he/was: already in: such %tcuch with: : the Liquor ..party ■; as; to. cause: Jhint'to.:: believoi, that.'.they-s we're.likely to.' consider tho points in siich a way as rnicrht make legislation possible this; session. The original: 1 overtures were not made, '•'as .■'■ was stated by,- C. \C. 'Louisson,". by,:the .TVm'perahco;.party,', nor oven" thought !of 'until tlioy,'were, proposed to,, us. Upon; receiving Dr.'KudlayVrequest, which: we regarded as under: tho, seal of 'confidence, the officers of: the Alliance; put /themselves', into.., communication with leaders of.- the ■ party in different: parts of. -the? Dominion/ and ; finally ; Mr. ' Weslpy Spragg., the Eev. Arthur, Dewdney,; and '/the Rev., John ..Dawson . were/ appointed.; by .-the executive/ to /consult, with 'Dr. Pindlay.,...,. ;//

: : ';-Demands of.: the. Liquor. Party. ' '.:''.. ■".'"At'' the'O.first-'intorviey; >Div ; ;Fihdlay -.snb.'| mitted-to.'us -the; demands qf the Liquor party; ,w)iich' v were'as follow—-V... •,;,' f ;■.:✓:•;' > :■:, ••' ':. "l.No'.pon vin.'Ml/ridr until; 1914. \ : ,;;;> : . , .'"2/ Dominion"'prohibition'.■;and. \ local.-yoption with, 55-lMths: ; majority. 'The. Dominion vote not io- take.; effectfor, six -years. Local option .not .to - takq effect: for three : years,'or Dominion .Prohibition by .'bare;'majority: hat, to . take effect for'six'years. "No-Liccn.se' by :ity not' to take effect.for two years!; '.-. : "3. Eliminate; Reduction issue. ' ..;,;; ."' "', : '•. "i. 'Three issuesion ■ the ballot-paper—(a) Con-' tinuaic'e/ (b)'No-License, .(d) Dominion.Prohibition. No' voter 'having the .right -to vote 'for' ■more,than one. issue.' These, proposals.we em : phatio^Uy'stated we: would not even;,discus?j; .they 'were. quite, out, of the question.. After' many interviews, an agreement, the' memos.; of whioh'. '. were ; ' subsequently, published,■'. was : rived: at. :; These-were, carefully''considered 'by. 'the'executive of the Alliance, and,:, ultimately;, iwe were- authorised, !to'. sign, .them..'. -The full, details could not;.be .stated.' in. precise ;legal phraseology. /Hue-, was! realised by 'Dr. Findlay, l and his good'faith was shown in the provision. ;fpr, ; appointment :of solioi tors each' side to whom the draft r Bill !was- to; be .submitted for revision and aprjroval;before:being ' presented >$o. Parliament..:,.■.',. ;''.;.'' v ; V f-'v; ''"'>;■.':: Attitude \Pjatty. • V/ ; ';' / '.^We ' h'a-d-'n'ot been able .to..■consult, the wholeparty;';the'.'bon'il: oi■■ confidence; made -ftliat..im-. possibley'but;,we";felt' .wevshould v be^'ab'lß,< v to'; 'Secure its'i endorsement',' of the joints: agreed' 'upon.' ?;The;lett'eT;to';the,;Prime.;Minister,.which, -'(together.'with',ihe^letto'r,,tq'; Dr. -Findlny) was as .much: o(] the essenoe.of/the,. agreement as the. "terms.; themselves,.'conveyed}that 'hope. ;;■ Wo! -therein agreed .'to .further .by .all meanspower the passage into law' of the .'agreement.' ,Tha't j.me'ant/' that.'-woo undertdok.-.tb', secure, r'as •far' as ::'possible ; thei.support. of : ;:oifrr" -party. ■ An'd;.we.;d?Sii;e: , 'tb ? r ihaKe? if-vory- cleat : that;'* as"', We,';,' have : to i.'ifio < ~'utfa.p?t.' l :'of.'' our : ;' ; power ,: ;hdn'6ur,ably ißndeaTquredi term's, '■!. Personally! w'e'lare' 'istuT; prepared!,tq!stand by, those ternis,' and wo did'our best'to 'secure, tho:lull'assent; of our party. And the -party endorsed every item-of the Agreement - save, ■„ one., Qri.;. that, .point? we'knew-that':voter's.were possibly,'!beihg ;asked'to vote for.something more than they desired; '■■' Wo, did 'not, wish, to confuse the issues, • but ■' we" ."believed'- -that : 'ih": the.. interval. 'before the, election we 'would "be able to /.educate ; ';the-'NorLicenseV".voters! up'.to -the '.desire':,..fori Dominion as well .as ;locaV : option.; Bnt-tho • party .'• determined ' that it : was ,• not. a. .rightYthihg.sto .-'ruriVthe risk: 'of; cpmpe.lliflg"-'a - '.man.to'.vote'for!What.he did,'hot,waht:in. order' to secure' what'h# did 'want,'- or'elso compelVhiin to refrain from'; votingV:-And': therefore ;it asked for tho. Reparate .ballqt-papers.! To''that extent: the ".party i declined .to . accept, the" agreement.' ■ Every ■' other item—though'.if."meant surrender-, ing a : :greatdeal-thbparty:.accept6d.:.; '.',,.,

K ; W; : '.}; :■ Straight-put; issue -Wanted.: ■;':/;/:•.-;; y i ; :"l£ spite : of ' : all the'y-angry. vituperation,-fof'• did ..not,;; and' still :/Id, ',not/ : tbiiik'tho''point'is 'necessarily; a'VcrucialS'o'rie;Why. 'should ■" it .be' ,'so, regarded ?,; ; As • .a, matter;bf ;f abtv the '-.memos.', of, agreomeht:.'had/. not: the' foj-ce- of -a--legal 'document..: The. solicitors -f or both sides ..in .considering' the' draft Bill'' exercised the,rignt to vary ;,it in certain '.particulars 4-a'right;conceded -by 'each'sideiand : ;admitted; ;'Aid.in vthe'raatter.-jnidispute; wc'folt'tliataf the.professions of : the Other- si'de really.,mbaht' onght/tb vbe: prepated. 'tbiconsider-.-.vthe; suggested.; Over;;ah(i:again'the representatives';lbf■• ..tHe 'Trado have declared;that all they : desire 'is :that as-a 'straight-out: issue 1 itv should '-bo subniittefl to'.the.'electors,; That is what .we ; .want.','B'u't. the;ballot-papervsuggesfcd 'does riot^give"--thiit. : It ties up in one vbte''twb'ta'ngle"dissues..-:'Why. not'-'then;'separate ':the'tri' (in'd' let the''issues-be clearly put ? We say 'if • the people want Dominion. prohibition'le't thoni'say'.'so; if.'. thbyVwaht- local pb-lieense, let. them, say /so. ; All we ■ desireyis'a'vclcar expression -of the will of the ■' people.,And becausb.the 'm'ethbd.'of voting provided- for in. the; agreement-might prevent Vsucli.'.tf'clcar expression'■ of, : the people's mil; our' party .asks that in' that' point' alonb''an alteration be -made. 1 '"Throughout the -whole proceedings wo. have acted iii''perfect: good, faith.;; We ;haye x :.;not fooled;-.nor wished to fool,".'either :the'Governjnent or .the Liquor' Party. Individually, we still'think the. basis'--arrived at .would prove a .s'atisfa'ctory'one/'.and if, it had beenTa;business, batgiin'ibetwecn.-us-ns'.individuals" and;'the Government,; we should.:navo been-.prepared''to take",.all', risk;' But:■ since" this ..was.''a-; matter: that afiected' many- thousands .'of ,vbters,-.manif of whoih (.protested■'against .this- particular point, '*e .felt -that', we'.find; no. right to. insist upon overriding-their'wishes, "when their judgment ;.;■;. ;,':;; ... v. :;.-';■•■• .;:/;; •>■' We; have "a letto'r; from.'Mri.'A.; ;.S. .'Adams, of Duiedin, on the above -subject." .It .will' appear ill Mohdayfs issue.;. ; .-'■'; ; - '. . : , '.''-.