NATIONAL ECONOMY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 7

NATIONAL ECONOMY

Sir,--Your article on "Early Closing' 1 in to-day's Dominion seems to indicate u threat on the part of those meinbera of our Legislature who do not approve of any mluction in the hours of selling liquor. They scorn to say, ill 'illecti "If you do not accept the anti-shouting clause, then wo will oppose both that and reduction of hours." ' ' 5 It is regrettable that a body of men, olectod to' what is supposed to. be a deliberative assembly, should bo so heedless of the definitely expressed wishes of an increasingly large section of the public. Perhaps their abovo-iucnlioj.ed threat will .prove to be a boomerang (at .nest 'election). The position'now seems to be:— The liquor party has made variousprotests against early closing. The Prohibitionists have made an attempt to iiifluonco tho sentiment of the public. An organisation (the .War, Necessities Committee), in .no way connected with either party, put forward a moderate'pro. posal, ' carefully considered, which should havo been,acceptable to most moil, erate-jninded people, and even-to many of the extremists., Now, it is "up to" the Government. At the deputation on-Aj>ril 12 the Government promised to bring forward a "better proposal" when Parliament was sitting. But- so far all that-we have had is a mild and easily-evaded regu. lation concerning shouting. , If this be considered sufficient ly our Legislature, then the people must realise that the National Government is quite out of touch with public., feeling in. this matter, Most of the'patriotic men and women of tho Dominion, not only Prohibitionists, have signed petitions for early closing, chiefly on the ground of national economy. Most of them are engaged in Red Cross and other patriotic work. to help > a Government which everybody would like to a?c prove itself resplute enough to bring down legis, lation which .-will effectively deal with the problem now Ik fore die Petitions Committee of tlio House.—] sir* <itc., NATIONAL.