A CANDID MEMBER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1606, 20 November 1905, Page 2

A CANDID MEMBER.

In his speech at Napier last week, Mr A. L. D. Fraser, M.H.R., said that every three years the liquor question was brought up, dominating and detrimentally influencing the welfare of the oolouy. There were so oalled temperance reformers whose sole idea seemed to be that everything else should bo neglected and the most-important affairs of tue State allowed to go so long as they scoured no-license. One of the worßt features of the pressnt system was local option. If bo had his way, he would not have the local option vote taken on tho same day as that forthe

general oleotion. He would not have hysterical women, aud possibly more hysterical men, leading people astray by claptrap that obscured the important political issues before the coun-

try. It did not seem to matter to these reformers if millions were to be squandered, tbe vital affairs of tbe colony and tho Empire allowed to fall into the gutter, so long as no-license was oarried. He had opposed the referendum, but he would support it if the question of nolioense was inoluded among those proposed to be dealt with by that method, He was oonvinced that no lioense and looal option I had not been successful, but had been

detrimental and unjust to many. In support of this, ho quoted the remarks made by Arehdeaoon Clark in Auckland with 1 regard to drunkenness among the natives in the King Country, where prohibition was in force, and also the expressed opinions of Inspeotor Cullen and Mr Nortbcroft, S.M , on the same subjeot. He I

stood overy time for Prohibition as agaios l no-lioanse or local option, and he withec the Premier had firmly stuck to clause £ of tho Bill, beo-iuse if he had done so it would probably now have been law. In connection with tbe liquor question, he strongly denied the statement sometimes made that drinking and drunkenness were

increasing among oolonials. The expenditure on liquor in the colony had decreased P'r h< ad as follows between 1883 and 1893 : - Spiri-s, £2 9s fid to JR 18s 10d ; wines, 2s 4d to Is 2d; ales and beer, Is 7d to BJd. He had a new scheme to propose. They now charged a man .£4O a year f k the privilege of selling liquor. He propo el that no man should be allowed to purchase liquor without paying a fixed fee nnt being duly lioeused. This would me>-n et ndderable additional revenue for roads and bridges, and there would be no necessity for prohibition orders. If a man was inolio6d to take a little too muoh ; he would not get a lioense. Ho thought thjs would be a good scheme, j At any rate it would put baok the olook of 1 looal option anjl no-license for uuny years.