PROHIBITION AND THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2264, 25 September 1914, Page 7

PROHIBITION AND THE ELECTIONS

■ </ ——6 -,y. DECLARATION BY THE NEW ZEALAND alliance; \ —-r— ■ . - Since the outbreak of war the. New Zealand Alliance has not agif&ted either, for or .against the postponement of the . General Elections and the Licensing polls. 'Now that it lias Tbeen officially unnouncedthat'the polls are,to betaken at the usual time the Alliance Executive has '.passed' tho ; 'foUbwing ; '-rMolutiori :—■ ■ ■ Whereas:"' (1) The liquor traffic, is a fruitful ' ; cause of economio waste, physical ■ inefficiency,' - moral - degeneration, orime, disease and death;' (2) During the last'l2' years over £42.000,OOOTiave been spent in New Zealand on liquor, and there have been over 123,000 convictions for . drunkenness; \ . (3) During that period the liquor traffic has existed in New Zealand by a minority vote and at the ' licensing polls of 1911 269,943 elec- . tors, being a majority of 54,282, declared for Prohibition but were reduced to impotence by the requirement of a three-fifths mayjrity; , .. ■ s ' (4) This handicap upbn tlie most urgent of social reforms was inspired :by a w regard . for vested interests andis contrary to justice . aJid democratic' principle; i (5) 'Notwithstanding 'the continued- and growing demand for the removal or .at least the substantial \ ' reduction of this handicap, and despite the election pledges of a ma- ! . iority of the present House, Par- 1 iiament refused to make any such reduction.

The New Zealand Alliance therefore,' while maintaining the,right to the simple majority,'calls upon its supporters, where necessary,' to subordinate political party interests at. the forthcoming election in order to secure ■;the return of candidates definitely pledged to remove ot.at least very substantially reduce the handicap on both the issues of No-License arid, National Prohibition, and to oppose any retrograde legislation. The New Zealand Alliance also urges leagues to use the full strength of their organisation to secure the return ,of suoh candidates. ':