WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

STATE CONTROL

A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE

(Our Special Correspondent)

Wellington, Sept 26

At the moment it seems likely that the adoption of six o’clock closing will give a distinct impetus to the State Control movement. For years past there has been a growing volume of public opinion favourable to the extinction of private interest in the liquor trade, hut so far there lias been no serious attempt to provide it with a definite goal or to give it authoritative expression. Numbers of people who talk glibly of State Control as if it were a panacea for all the evils of the drink traffic have formed no clear idea in their own minds as to what the phrase means or as to what they would have it mean. To others it suggests only a way of escape from the extreme ol prohibition and to others again a convenient half way house towards that drastic measure. But since the startling developments of last week, which are taken by many people to represent a popular demand for an improvement upon the present system, there has been a disposition among the politicians to give it more precise consideration. j THE MINISTERIAL VIEW.

' Though hitherto Mr Massey has | looked askance at both the Referendum and State Control, holding the one to be the refuge of cowards and the other a peril to good government, he seems to have materially modified his views at least in respect to Hie Referendum, since the House took the bit between its teeth, so to speak, and went the “ whole hog” in the matter !ol early closing. He is now, acI cording to his own confession the ' I other evening, rather more than j halt inclined to accept the further advice of the Efficiency Board to ' submit the question of closing the hotel bars during the course of the war, on pavment of compensation to the licensees, to a referendum of the electors. Sir Joseph Ward, who alreadv is a convert to vState Control, also would like io see the 1 responsibility for the final decision thrown upon the electors and there are a considerable number of members on both sides of the House who would cordially support their respective leaders towards this end. THE NEW OUTLOOK. But probably the party leaders on second thoughts have realised that the objections to holding a referendum on any phase of the liquor question at the present time are only a little less grave than those to holding a general election. A licensing poll often provokes more bitterness and strife than does a 1 parliamentary contest. But whether the liquor question is dragged into still more prominence or not during the present session it is certain the question of State Control will receive increased attention during the ■ i recess. Alreadv several intelligible ■ schemes for eliminating the proI prietary interest - arc being dis--1 cussed. They all provide for the ■ payment of compensation, and the i prohibitionists, of course, arc attributing them all to the machinations, of the liquor trade. This imputa- . tion, though perhaps natural I enough, is not justified by the facts, . even Mr Lsitt, easily the most capable and persistent of the proliibi- , tion advocates in the House, having . declared that if reasonable compen- , sation meant the abolition of'the I traffic it would be “ worth while.” . THE ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE. Asan experiment-in the exchange . of confidences between the National „ Government and the rtiuk ami file of the House the “ secret sitting” . held last night appears to have been ■a success. Of course Ministers disclosed to members a good deal more than is indicated in the official report handed to the representatives of the Press and equally of course members expressed their opinions with more candour than would have been permissible at an open sitting. The fact that the members accepted “ unanimously ” the decision of the Government, founded on represent- ‘ ations made by the.lmperial authori--j ties, that the proposal to grant fur- " lough to members of the Alain Body ■ of the Expeditionary Force would have to be abandoned is sufficiently significant of the spirit that animated the gathering. This, it is sale to say, was the hardest pill it had to swallow, and though the men at the front will regret the decision less ■ than will their friends in this country it will come as a bitter disappointment to the whole com-' munity. \ ' THE .SECOND DIVISION. The president of the Second Division League is promptly itt the field with a declaration that the Government's proposals in regard to increased pensions and allowances are not satisfactory to the members of the League, “ft is impossible to deal with the figures critically,” he said last night, “hut a glance at them is sufficient to show that the provisions arc absolutely inadequate.” Ministers arc not giving any information as to what occurred at the conference in respect to this subject and private mem tiers are not talking for publication ; but it is unlikely the. Government's proposals will he allowed to pass through the House without a considerable amount of discussion. 'file Second Division League has been untiring in its activities and not a single member lias escaped its atteVitiVm. But- probably a majority has heen sufficiently impressed by what it heard last night to refrain from demanding more than the million a ye«u the Government lias conceded" to the Second Division.