PUBLIC OPINION. AN ASPECT OF THE LICENSING ISSUE.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1922, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

AN ASPECT OF THE LICENSING ISSUE.

There is one point in connection with- the Licensing Roll which the advocates of Prohibition seem to entirely ignore. They never explain why the erst of introducing their panacea for all thn ills to which human flesh is heir, should be borne by the two or

three thousand people who happen to he directly interested in the maintenance of the liquor trade on the day -.vlu-i- the country, bv a majority ol one or of fifty thousand, decides ihal the Trade shall he abolished. We do not wish to he misunderstood We are not thinking of the loss ol r<venue or of the cost of adininistratiiij. the new law which must be enormous

hut of the extinction of the capital , now employed in the Trade. , When the special poll recommended by the Efficiency Committee was belli during tin- course of the war, the Government took authorin' to pay four millions by way of compensation in the event of Prohibition being carried. This was in accordance with a sugges- ; tion made by the Committee, and though tlm amount of compensation was not adequate, it satisfied the conscience of a majority of the people. But as the law stands at present, no enmmiiisation will fie paid to the unfortunate folk who will suffer in the event of the Prohibition issue being carried. This seems like imposing upon a mere handful ol the einnmuuilv. a \ iearious sacrifice for which there is not the slightest justification. The Licensed Liquor Trade lias been a legal trade in this country for seventy or eighty years, existing by the will 'of a. majority of the people, and with the authority of their representative institutions. The responsibility for its existence to-day is the responsibility of the community at large not

of the publicans and brewers, and wine and spirit liter: hr. nI s who are following their lawful calling at the present moment. If the Trade is an evil one, Icit it he blotted out, but in. the name of all that is just aild righteous let there he some equitable payment basis for the release from its influence. That is the point to which prohibition advocates should he t-jO „ attention. Ijt There ninv he perfectly rational differences of opinion as to the propriety „f retaining the Trade, but that question is not being discussed non. >et sitrelv there can be. no difierence ot opinion amongst honest P-ple who irive a moment’s- serious thought to the matter as to their immorality ot robbing three or four thousand people order that the rest of the community mav try im experiment in social i - form. Surely an experiment of this kind should be entered upon with clean hands. ,

A meeting of the Kiwi Football C'1,,1, was held on Saturday, when it was decided that the Club should endeavour to form a Cricket team. . A large attendance of members signified their intention of playing, and it was resolved that a further meeting he field on Tuesday evening at 7 o’clock when a quote would be submitted for the material required and arrangements made to raise the necessary funds. The Club is to be called the Kiwi Cricket Club and all members are requested to attend the meeting on Tuesday evening.