STATE PURCHASE AND CONTROL OF LIQUOR

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 66, 10 December 1921, Page 12

STATE PURCHASE AND CONTROL OF LIQUOR

Sir—Mr. Raw, for the. licensed trade, in' vo’ur issue of the !»th, reiterates what is neither more nor less than a c,iar «® that the legislators who submitted the prohibition issue, and the 270.250 voters who voted for it, knowingly sought and still Seek ji “dishonest” end. As representing those voters. 1 beg leave to point out the absurd ami contemptible nature of this charge. When in 1919 tho Efficiency Boards proposals for prohibition with compensa'ion W ere voted on, tho liquor trail c secured the defeat of ©those proposals with a battle cry of “Why pay when von can get it next time for nothing. The people now. intend Io have prohibition without purchase or compensation. The liquor party cuts a singular figure bleating about ruin and bogging to bo

bought out now that the method it recommended is likely to bo put into operation. Mr. Raw seems to be under the impression that some considerable point m to be scored by reiterating that tho "licensed trade” has made no proposals' to Mr. Massey. On behalf of Mr. Conine, may I fioint out that he never said the "licensed trade” had. There are others on "tho other side” besides the actual manufacurers and dispensers of liquor. But will Mr. Raw deiy. that the friends of the liquor traffic in Parliament have indicated that a five years’ interval between the carrying of and going into effect of prohibition would, bb their demand if it was proposed to eliminate the 1 State purchase and control issue? May I go further, and ask Mr. Raw if he is prepared to deny that Mr. Mas-, sey holds the same viewsasMr. Conine has expressed ns to what ' the othei side” desire?—l am, etc., J. WALTON MURRAY, Acting-Secretary. December 1.