THE LIQUOR ISSUE IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 183, 29 April 1919, Page 7

THE LIQUOR ISSUE IN AUSTRALIA

POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The poll on the liquor issue in New Zealand and the statement of the Premier of South /Australia that he was opposed to the taking of a. .similar referendum in that.State has.caused speculation in political circles (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph"),-., us to the lines (lie' New South Wales Government's proposed liuor' reform/legislation will take. ,'Qn' account of pressure of Ministerial work arising out of the influenza pandemic. Cabinet, of course, has hot .yet had. an opportunity to consider the' question. The general assumption, however, is 1 thai' eognisaiico will be taken of the division on'Mr, Bruntnelt's motion last session,-, affirming,the principle of a bare majority,, with provision for compensation, 'on the question of prohibition. Mr. Ash ford,-Minister for Lands, would seem to share this view:, too, as. in. a. recent speech in .the Hunter River'district ho urged the -desirableness.of separating the manufacture and sale of wine-.from the liquor trade generally. In urging the' adoption of this course the Minister has no lack of supporters on either side of the Housed and it may be taken for granted'that in any contemplated legislation tlie Government will be urged to make provision- for savingViticultural interests, mo'ro'.especially as wine-growing is regarded as a.profitable avenue for the absorption of returned soldiers. The Farmers' and Settlers' Association will deal with' this phase of the question at- its forthcoming annual conference, and it is anticipated that overwhelmin" support.-will--be forthcoming for Mr. Ashiord's policy. In. view of the' possibility of the Government deciding to' submit legislation providing for a bare majority on the prohibition issue,"a summary of the results of. the local option polls' tnken in New South Wales-in 1907, 1910,. and 1913 is in-' teresting. In each:instance the votes for continuance exceeded those-for hd-license, and if the votes for reduction' are'also taken'.into, account'as against no-license the margin is.substantially greater.. 1 ■'-■'' In ISO - there were 745,900 electors'on the ipll, and 461,062, or 62.2 per-cent.; voted; iii 1910-there we're'B(i7,G9d' electors m tho 1011, arid 576.718, or 66.4 per cent., voted; and in 1913 there.'.were i,037,849 electors on the roll; and 670,362,' or' 64.6 per cent., voted. ; •In 1907, 64 Electorates carried reduction, resulting in' 292 hotels being closed; in 1!)!0, 14 electorates carried reduction, resulting in 28 hotels being closed; and in-1913; 15 electorates carried reduction, resulting in 23 hotels being closed. The referendum on the closing hour of hotels—which, however, on nccount of tho fact thnt it was taken undef war condition; has no special significance resulted as follows :-Fo? 6 o'clnok closing, 347,494; for 9 o'clock, 178,842; majority for-fl. o'clock, 163,652.