"A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 60, 5 December 1918, Page 5

"A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE"

MODERATE LEAGUE'S VIEW OF THE LICENSING BILL. The Central Executivo of the New Zealand Moderate League met yesterday lo consider the position arising out of' the rushing through Parliament of Iho Licensing Amendment Bill providing for a special referendum on the question of Prohibition with compensation to bo held early next year. Tho following resolution was carried:— "That the New Zealand Moderate League regrets that it has been decided to plunge New Zealand into the bitterness and turmoil of a special liquor referendum, particularly in view of the fact that there can now bo no justification for this courso as a war lucneure. "That the Moderate League, representing Iho largo body of moderate thought throughout the Dominion, emphatically protests against the absolute ignoring by the Government and Parliament of tho rights of the moderate soction in deliberately refusing to provide an issue, of Slate Ownership in the special referendum, such issue being the only one which would honestly convey the convictions of the moderate public. "That Government and Parliament, by their action in forcing a special reforendum on the bare issues of Continuance or Prohibition with compensation, have placed the moderate public in the position of having their rights bartered away by compromise between the two extreme parties—Prohibitionists and tho trade.

"That the Bill, as passed by Parliament, is a travesty of justice, and violates every principle of democracy in that it declares the arbitrary dictum that a vote in favour of Prohibition is to mean Prohibition for all time, giving the people no right at any time hereafter to bring about reinstatement undoiv'any systeni. "That the rights of soldiers to voto on the questions to bo submitted at the referendum are not safeguarded, as tho section of the Bill relating thereto is rendered valueless by tho provision that tho validity of the referendum will not be affected by any omissions or failure to secure the soldiers' votes, thereby enabling tho Administration to adopt with impunity any elip-shop measures in taking same. "That further, the members of the executive, as citizens, protest aguinst the manner in which important legislation of all kinds, vitally affecting the future of the Dominion, is being rushed through the House, and the interests of the country and its people subverted to political expediency."