THE LICENSED TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 19 December 1911, Page 6

THE LICENSED TRADE.

ITS .VIEW OF THE LATE POLL. At a meeting of the Wellington Licenced Trade. Defence League, Jlr. M. Kennedy presiding, tko following resolutions were' passed :— (1) That the, league desires to place on record its appreciation of the great efforts put forward in the cause of liberty and freedom as against the threatened tyranny and oppression of tho prohibition party, and desires to thaiik all those who, by their votes and zealous unselfish efforts, .saved a. legitimate and necessary Inn-mess from extinction. (2i That the league .regrets that some feeling should have been shown by a few of its more enthusiastic supporters, , but believes that to hnvp been inevitable in the he.it of the contest, and that when men and women are fighting for their living, (heir property being in jeopardy, thosi! who repel threatened ruin by uiifccrupiilous assailants are to be excused any display in (lie licit of the 'buttle. (•").. Thai the league regrets that prohibition clergymen should withdraw from -their churches, and forsake their pulpits for the time being to take part in a political fight which,, if won by them, would mean the ruin of their neighbours, create untold bitterness of feoling and entirely incalculable misery and loss to thousands of people; and the league further regrets that these prohibitionist clergymen should engage in such a movement that would bring about such distressing results in the name of religion and huina'iit.v. . (4) Thut the league is of opinion that as the trade in alcoholic beverages, for which, it speaks, is Hins carried on by many 'upright and honourable men anil women the cause of citizenship i> not being promoted by the unwarrantable attacks upon their names and reputations by the clerical leaders of Hie prohibition party, wlvr would be better employed in pursuing the high objects'of their calling ihon in fomenting strife and Utterness in Hip community, setting class against ela,-s. and s<e<ikin2 Ihe ruin of many. •\i) That the league while e\pro.-.siiig iU satisfaction with the result of the licensing 'poll, considers that at next election the result will l-.oeven more satisfactory vrben "the people generally realise t.ha't leniporanco. for which this league stands is not prohibition, that prohibition fs not even a. promoter of tbmptrance, but a mere political policy of negation and destruction, fostered, presumably, not for the good of the people or of the Dominion, but for the personal power and glorification of its leaders.