The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1925. THE LRENNINU PULL.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1925. THE LRENNINU PULL.

I'm: ic t ere ml nin nn the iiceiasiiig issue i> to he determined hy the people on Wednesday next. The advocates ot the three tael ions engaged have been as hiisv as eireunistaiiees notild permit in keeping the snhjeet In the foie--1 iont. and ninth advice drawn from ix.erienee. has l-eeii circulated pro and eon. The matter at issue, cleared I rum the blare and blaze ul advei li ■(*• ments and posters, is one for quiet do eisinn hy the people themselves. l’mliihition is to prohibit and to many i! will appear .i- a form of intolerance ■a hieli will not he coiuitei,anted, l hero are many wood folk who think and talk otherwise, hut the sullied is one ot on which there must he a wide divergence of opinion. Still opinion lias reason to he more and mi.rc crystallised of late years. At the outset prohibition was snmet hi no new and untried. As time has mine on. other | lares have ventured to try prohibit ion. There arc example- ot prohibit ion in Indue. It is | for the people to draw their own conclusions. We believe that most foil, in ■ New Zealand have had their own iiin- ■ vietions confirmed on the matter hy the ’ experience of prohibition in other countries. In the I’nited States, for • example, there is an outstanding inslame of prohibition in action. The 1 reports from the country leave little doubt as to the effect on the people as a whole. Various views naturally, are ox] ressod. hut the weight of the opinion. as also the fieneral effect, coupled with the groat clfort necessary to attempt to enforce prohibition, carry one to the conclusion that New Zealand would take a false step were it to vote prohibition. It takes something like a miniature army and navy in the I'nited States on land and sea to put down the import and sale of contraband liquor. And it is an open secret that the authorities are not successful. They succeed in many eases, and these are heard of. hut when there are so many, the thought creeps in there must he many more which are not heard of. The fact that liquor is olstainable so readily in many parts of the I'nited States indicates that though prohibited the liquor trade nourishes. In the form in which it nourishes it is a menace and a great national loss. It would bo better all round to have a regulated trade better for the health and pockets of the people; and that opinion seems to he growing in America. With the experience of the Failed States such ns it i>. it would appear to he best for Xew Zealand to leave well alone. The country should concentrate on better regulation. This would come under an improved tenure.and standard of house. The law could he more exacting were the licensed trade in a better position to serve th people. Xew Zealand is so .situated that population must he attracted to enhance national prosperity. With the natural attractions within the Dominion there is possible every season to attract the tourist- class in increasing numbers. Hut even tbe present Prime .Minister has remarked that the standard of the hotel nccommodntionn should he improved. Air Coates bemoaned the fact that parties of Americans were eonffng to Xew Zealand shortly, and the hotels would not he equal to the accommodation required for the parties. I'mler a more settled tenure the licensed victuallers would have more eonfidenie in building and improving, and making it more and more attractive to oversea visitors. A local sportsman on Labor Day-remark-ed on the small number of Christchurch visitors who came to the trotting meeting at Greynionth. He attributed the restriction of the number coming over to the limit of hotel accommodation. An instance such as this emphasises the point we desire to make with regard to an improved tenure. If the licensed trade is to remain ns we believe it will, lot it be improved to the fullest extent, and become an aid to effective national expansion, as it should under proper regulation and management. To that end the continuance of licenses is desirable.