THE REV. W. J. COMRIE’S STATEMENT

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 56, 30 November 1921, Page 6

THE REV. W. J. COMRIE’S STATEMENT

THE STATE CONTROL ISSUE. (To the Editor.) Sir. —"Afv statement to you was for the purpose of refuting the Rev. Mr. Comrie’s, 'that the other side,* as he said, had proposed to Air. Massey the elimination of State control from the ballot-paper for a five years’ limit. That statement by the reverend gentleman was not correct.” The licensed trade has made no such proposal and has declined to do any political bargaining with the votes of the people, my words being, ‘'we would not, under any circumstances, make the franchise of the electors a medium for political bargaining." Afr. Melton Murray, acting-secretary to the Prohibition Party, in-his letter of propaganda to your paper, makes admissions that prove that the Rev. W. , J. Qemrie’s statement is altogether erroneous. Air. Murray says: “It is Prohibition Party desire the State control issue eliminated,” etc. Thus, Air. Afurray supports my statement. and proves that that made by the Rev. TV. J. Comrie is not correct. But Mr. Murray says the Prohibition Party desires tho State control issue eliminated because of the smallness of that vote. Would Air. Murray have desired the elimination of the Prohibition PnTtv when that party was as small os the State Control Party is to-day? The distinction between State control and prohibition I have already defined—one is an honest proposition, and the other is not. The State Control Party wants certain reforms without grievous loss to the parties affected. The ProfiibiHon Party does not seek betterment, but extinction and the ruin, in a business sense, of a great many of the-r fellow-subjects. Therefore in contradistinction to prohibition, State control is »n honest proposal. What Mr. Murray fears, and what evidently the whole of his party fears, is that the honesty of State control might Flaw" quite a number of present prohibitionists from the ranks of his party to the support of a proposal—State con-trol-more consistent with their professions. State controllers may have been all prohibitionists, and that 32,000 may have seceded from Mr. Murrays party il surely evidence that the 32,000 voters are desirous of finding a fairer solution than prohibition.—l'em. etc., J. R. RAW, General Secretary, National Council of the Licensed Trade.