LICENSING POLL SUGGESTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 191, 8 May 1920, Page 2

LICENSING POLL SUGGESTION

Sir,—May an onlookor volunteer i a . small comment on the recent licensing, poll? On© spe3 in the temperance papers reierences to /the "undemocratic pofy and this 'seems justified in view of the.fact that'a minority of the elec--tors, viz., tho adherents of. continuance, have won the. day. But when thesa papers .go on to deduce that the issue of State control is knocked out, and that , future ballots must bo between Continuance, and' Prohibition "only, T think they, are taking a wrong view. In my ..opinion, Sir, the issue which is'hopelessly knooked out is Continuance, and these are my Teasons. 'The 'election in reality WRB between two parties—those who rte. sired Continuance nnd those who desired alteration.' :Th*'State ;Controh6t« certainly did ji'it <iesiro Continuance. Thcv wished alteration of some eort. The' Prohibitionists desjred alteration of ■. -another sort.- But : both-were against Continuance. Regarding the matter, in that light, you mi>/ add tho;State controlvotes' and the' No-License votes together,. ■; when vou have: ;the-'.anomaly, ; thnt the • only proposal that is declared carried:is the-one which should have been defeated by a huge ronjority-I have *iot tho figures by me, Consequently, I argue, Sir. that if a new • ballot-paper as to' bo framed, the issue'; ehoukl hs be-. tw"ee"n-State control. and .No-License, the nation has most emphatically pronounced in. favour o£ a change of iome sort, and therefore against Continuance. It only,remains, then, for the majority, who have shown that they desire a change, to decide what form that e^ '. Lake Chri69 ! e, Transvaal, ■' i , ;:; March.2s. .1920;;'; :;:;: ;.;;