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Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1925, Page 2

o.\ the occasion of the approaching general election, the licensing poll will take j'.lace sinuilt ancotisly, as is usual the electors ale bi-mg well advised m advance by lecturers, and press and poster advertising with regard to the .sslie at strike. In most electorates the iiaiiot paper provides three proposals for consideration:—';!) National Continuance i licenses Lo remain as they are); lit) State Control; (■'!) National Pruliibition (.abolition of liquor tiade). In districts where no-license exists the issue will lie restortion or to remain as at present. The licensing referendum recurs every three years, and the figures over the whole Dominion for the two elections past, were:—

11 will lio scon Unit nil these votes increased Inst noil. and no doubt with ;i orcatt-r number nl cllective votes this |m ■ riot I, there will lie a still Ittrtlier increase in the aioyri’.yntc, With reeuril to t !".<■ issue ol ]>mhihiiion 01 otherwise the dccidin;; taetor i- cllective service, it’ prohiliil ion is to tiecoin- |' 1 ish all it is intemleil to <lo. I tilortunatelv the experience on that point is not helpful. Where prohibition has (teen atlenipleil erent aliases have crept in. In (he notable example ol tlie I'niteil States the enfiirceniciit of prohibition lias heroine somethin;; of a burden, while fhe evils which have crown tiM mnler it must he taken into account also. Then neiehliorino territories which ha ve liirteil with prohihit ion have t hotl';iil it tnlvisalile to ameml the law to a less striiioent decree. In ov.r own Dominion where iio-lii-cnse l as e \is(eil for icai's licuor is not exclud,.(l. tor there are means liy which it may he Intro.lin-i I. ami I hose acquainted with such areas talk of the aliases whieli have eroppeil up under lice license. There is the 'leiieral aspect for the average voter to take into account . the I,road ell'eet proliihition would have on an isolated country like New Zealand. Were proliihit lon enlniviihlc hire, the cmiutry would lie tahooed hv leiiuy. I lie ilow ol luuel tonrisl tra Hie would cease at The iinale-ial di-location to national income would In- fur-re,it-hine, and alio yet In-r the ityneral ell'eet would lie such thai an experiment ol such a nature should u it In* undrrtaliett litylit |y. On th" other hand there i-. tlm matter e! lie hotter improvement of the licensin'.', trade. This is possible iu dill - -ri'ii t directions, and it ai-cotn-plis]e-iI under proi'ir re;;iilaiions, certain m. iD would di-appeal- alt otyet her. Hv iS :ii 1 1 a men ii - tin- side I a lice would i i-maiti. hut with prohibition the stthsian:.- would la- hist lor a shallow, the s;;t.jees pas other aspects which will i call for rel.'i-cni-e later hefore pnllim.t ,|a\. Inlt eiiouyii lias heel! --aid to sortie, . | (hat 11"' ina iter is one lor close re a '-"i n tit; 1.1 1 1 tic part o! 11 ■< - electors whose into will determine the i|i!esti"u. A cliaiiye Irom ('out iiniaitee would mean momentous lesillts and the eciunjrv ait'l llie people would do w ell t'■ ponder on tin- possibilities. Tm: political address ol .Mr .1. O’Brien at the Town Hail last lliylil was li.itlt mild and moderate, and the cttiulidale most- modest in the statement oi his ease. We were o|ad to hear Mr O’lirien appreciate the attitude ol those opposed to him politically, whieli was tin evidence of fairness and in contrast

to some critics in the present conical. .Mr O'Brien’s speech did not cover lie whole Labor platlorni. Indeed, on that score it lias very fragmentary. The address was much on the lines ol .iir Holland's, leaning mi the lilianeial side of politics. and ill regard In general subjects leaving much unsaid. Mr O’Brien, like his leader, stated the finance of the country and the deductions made, ipiite front the l.ahoi viewpoint. The figures addressed were const rileted for the occasion, and are open tii a very different aspect, Einame, as we have said before, is the most important phase of politics before the people at this juncture, but Mr O’Brien has not got the economic position right, and he is building oil wrong premises and certainly is not putting the position forward as it is. Il was lelt lo a friendly i|liestioner to draw Mr O'Brien mi tin- Labour land policy, and the candidate gave a differ-

ent version of one aspect from Unit of the Labour planks. Indeed, Labour candidates atje itli interpreting the Labor land policy to suit themselves, and

.Mr O’tir'u'ii joins in tins nudee. Tin 1 Labour policy Is that privately owned land shall not he sold or transferred except to the State! That is a very definite commandment, hut Mr O'Brien introduced smoothing cist—he said a farmer may sell to a farmer. Well, allow that, hut what about the man who is lint a farmer who wants to go on the laud? lie may not take up any likeable section that attracts him! And the tanner who has the chance perhaps to sell out and retire, may not do so except at Stale valuation to the State? Where is the incentive to use the land to its fullest advantage that its value might increase, and be-

come a crowing asset, just ns the I'rug

iif family man stores his savings for a rainy day ? Then Mr U'Rrion had

something to say a hou t I he color line also at variance with the Labor policy. He stated he' would liar the yellow and hlacl; laces from New Zealand ? Not Hilly did he torgel or overlook the hot that we have a sterling Native mce ol our own which is not white, hut la* negatived the laihur policy nit "international jieare ami Iraternily.’' The J.ahour policy suhserilied to lie all I ai hour candidates including J| r 0 Hrien. hopes lor the industrial and political unity ol all countries (no reservation a limit color) for the purpose ol superseding Capitalism liv an industrial democracy and of forming not a League ol Nations hut a League of Peoples. How is .Mr O’Hrien going to exclude Asiatics under that plank? There was no reference last night to the strike aspect as H affects Labor, and no remedy or advice how the evils of striking were to lie met. There were promises about doles, hut no explanation where the money was to conic from without more steady production. There was in fact nothing constructive. On the destructive side of the Labor policy, Mr O'Brien did not refer to defence, in regard to which Labor promises the repeal of the Military .Service Act, and the Defence Act. and of war regulations, dealing with the civil and industrial liberties. Of course this is in keeping with the League of Peoples ! proposal, which, if Labour. rules will allow Asiatics to overrun the country, and who shall say them nay when

there are no organised moans of defence. Our space to-day is gone, hut perhaps we shall have other opportunities of referring to Mr O'Brien’s candidature and the Labour policy.

Nil t ioiiiil Ciintiiin:i:» I! Uiiiici 1 .-'lute I’urchiiso ;mil 1 ] ,-‘<l •Jti-’.OOfi Cmitnil Niitiiiiiiil I’roliiliitiiin L'7li,L’0H