LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1959, 16 January 1914, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

|^;THE'MAJORITY QUESTION; ■ "?Sir,—~With "Joannes Duns: Scotus," .'."J.0.5; , , , !- "Subtle Doctor." yourcorres■"pondeiif "Moderate" has nothing to do. 'I'hey may be champions of liquor or no liquor,'as they havi> a iniiid. it is only ,with'tlip vagaries ■of "One Voto One ■,:Yal'nq''.?'and his interpretation of- ■ the Scottish. Temperance Act that "Moderate' I '. , lias to deal. ■'V ■■' .-"■' would not vour "Ono Vote One Vaiuo" of ''blufiing," of "being convicted, of .gross ■■ misrepresentation," nor of •'clouding the issue"; and altkrag! , ! your correspondent displays these ch_aracteristics in his letter it niay bo Uiat he merely desires to s-ee in unothur his own personal qualities, so that tho reHeetion may flatter this peculiarly, effeminate attribute. Your readers will determine. . „ ■ "■■ . ■■', :

■<■ ■'•JJoiTftte 7 ' will show that "One Vote One Value" has mode a mistake, and your readers will of their own. know* ledge know that "One Vote One Value" has blundered, and if it is shown from "One Vote Ono Value's" letter that he has not correct knowledge of the premises, and incorrectly states these premises, then his argument cannot bo sound nor his deductions reasonable. Tho question turns -upon Mr. Massey's proposal amendment to the Licensing Act, and tho Scottish Temperance Act, and whatever their respective terms may bo this is what "One Vote One Value ' says of them:—"What tho Scottish Act requires to carry No-License is precisely tho same majority as is required by- Sir. Massey's Bill, viz., 50 per cent, of tho votps polled. Hut because- the .Scotch vote is not to be held on election, day, as h the case in Now Zealand, it is further stipulated that at least 35 per cent, of the voters on the roll must vote No-Liecnse to mako'No-License operative." ■ ■. ■' - : ■That is a- straight quotation • from "One Vote One-Value's'' letter wluch appeared- in your ■ Thursday's , issue (January 15),'andi Tbk DbMistos summarising the Prime Minister's' Licensing Amendment Bill (as tho Scottish newspapers did the' Scottish Tempe-rance Bill to ,, which , l haTo referred) said: "Clause 2 provides that the majority reqmred to ■ carry National Prohibition shall" bo fifty-five per cent, instead', of.-■ three , - fifths, .which means that the excess of votes required to carry: a proposal is reduced by half."—vide The DoiriKios, December,' 1913; . , The Bomision is. in agreement w»th "Moderate" in supporting the accuracy of-the following table:—.-' , ";■' - . '. Present Proposed -,•'.,•.-. N'.Z. Act. '.N.Z'. 'Act.'

Number of vf1t*e:,..'.05P0.., ; W . 6oW) For Nb-L.icons'o ... .3300. " : ■,■ " 3025 Against No-Liranso '• 21U9. ~ 24/ 5 Majority to carry' ~. No-LicMise .../..; 1100 .. . ,550 "Moderate" lias directed attention, to tlie-seriousness■ of vthis proposal from njtt ethical, "economical, . and-fiuaneial standpoint; end has pointed out that the carrying of Prohibition on ft majority of this kind is a. serious menace. Ip ■ individual fights, and ■ that it also threatens tho financial stability of tho country through tho sacrifice of £900,000 per annum, id which Prohibitionists do not, end will not, contribute a penny. Tho point, is that-"One-Vote '■■ Ono Value" has mis-stated the terms of tfto proposed New 'Zealand- Act, and 'when [to has done that repeatedly what can be thought of.his statements generally? Still persisting in .his error, he says tho "majority required , b.v'-tlie Scottish Act. to carry No-License is tho sarao ns Mr. Massoy's Bill, namely, ' fifty , ' per sent.," and to continues from this wrong statement .to say "it is furthpr stipulated that at lea.it 33 per cent, -of tho rotors'on the roll must vote NoLicoJ!sO to mskc-'No-Licenso operative. Not?, if a Scottish electoral roll contains IOjOOO names, and 35 per cent, of them vote, that is 3500, then "Giro Vote One Value" would like .us to benovo that No-Liccnso would bs> carried in- any Scottish electorate! But he says theScottish AH requires the same majority ns Mr. Massey's proposed Act. namely, 50 per cent;, when wo know—everybody knows—that it' is So per cent, of the rotes-polled; and'ho says that under the Scottish Act "35 per coat, of-the voters on the roll mvis-i vote No-License to thako No-License operative," and yet "Ono Vote One Value" solemnly affirms that "what tho Scottish Act requires to carry No-License; is precisely the same majority as'is required byMr.'Msssey s 8i11 , .' 1 ■■■,■■■■ ' "Truly, Mr. Boswell, you may supply a fanatic with areumsnt, but.vou cannot give him intelligene^^mytc.,

Our "Ono Vote j One Vftltio" ■writes to point out that nv Ins letter published'yesterday he , was made bva printer's, error toeay "50 pej cent, of 'tho votes , polled,".'instead of so" per cent. "' . . .-.•,.'.

I HOPE Mfi. MfLEY MAY BEAD ■" -•: ' '■• THIS, '•.:,•' .'/ •' _ Sir,—Now that wo tra rollers are hopin« for improvement in our railway service, I woiild point out a':voxJng''incOnvcitienco governing' '.part of .it, at-tho Feilding Railway• Station needing immediate attention. Daily about, noon tlie Wellington-New 'Plymouth mail going north and tJio Auckland-Wellington Main Trunk going south pass each other here, and ns tho former train arrived first it draws tip tho whole length of tho station; which is all right for passei)"ers leaving or joining the'train. Five--minutes-later the Main Trunk, en route for the Empire City, comes tbunderins along, but" is obliced ie kiss on the outside of-the New Plymouth; -train, and does nob bring up till traite 150 yards past tlie-Foilding Station, which Is all wrong) sud provocative of nyuch inconvenience; and '-'thoughts"' aud "reniarb in.:a strange tongue," .because passengers attempt to board the- Southern train have, if they want to b6 in time, to run, 'luftgage-liickm, all the distance, quoted above, as the train de-parts-almost' immediately after arrival This requires amohd'mcßt at- oiice, for in support, of-my contention I E"'6 now, in tho following (which"is a picture of daily occurrence) illustration of to-day's esp'erieute:—The writer, ■ encumbered wit-D -tVe Gladstone bags and a- typewriter, ' bid ' ton seconds to negotiate tlis , sprint distance.- There was n-6'one in sieht to help Kim. NeverHteless, he got there just as the. Main Trunk moved "off. N6t so-n pooT'old-lady, who was'loft lamenting. ■'.'■•• ■In order to"-bbviate matters.l woultj suggest to Mr. ITiky ; ono- or two tiimtjs: Either make a double station, or else make the New Plymouth tram leave and-vrai-t an a-deviation to.allow the Main Trunk to also come alongside tho rf.tion.-1-.m, kAVELLERj FeiMing, January 14. .1914.

Abnormsl currents were experiewed between "East Capo Island nnd CnvieiMand liv tlw Union Company's steamer Mono'wai on her trip from soulhwii ports to Auckland on Sunday night. Captain' White-Parsons reported that tlie ««rreni» set strongly'to tho eastward at the rate of'ntiout- 14 miles an hour. This nrndo a differen-ea of about an hour to the vessel's steaming iinro. ■A. big tan?i is in progress at VS bakapava.' near AVlmnsarel, in connection with'the death of the woll-'snown N?apnhi chief, Eru Nehun; whieh occurred somo-'time ago. On a tniijri was arranoed for, but it had to be •jbandonrtl for the time beiiiK on ac-f-ount of tho restrictions 'nlaced. upon Nntives travellinc: during the eimlemic. ■ It was estimsted that fully a thousand Natives would ho present at- AMiakanara- dui-intj this week. They were cominc from districts in all parts ef North Auckland. . ' ' :

Woodi.' Great Peppermint Cur* . forCowfhjMj&d GoUinuvertuU* U. C 4.'