WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LICENSING LEG I STATION

PR IMIS NUN IST Kit URGED TO

PROCEED

(Special to “ Guardian.’’)

WELLINGTON, November 17

The New Zealand Licensing Reform Association has lost no time in demanding the early fultilment of the Prune Minister s promise to put licensing legislation into shape at the earliest possible moment. The correspondence "which has passed between the sec*rotarv of the Association and the Hon. .). (;. Coates on the subject is published in the papers to-day and indicates that Hie association is disposed to brook no delay in realising the fruits of its victory at the polls, in a lengthv resolution of seven clauses it requests the Prime Minister “ to take earlv stejis in preparation lor the iullilii'.ent of the promise given by him before the election”; reminds him that the universal defeat ol prohibition throughout the Dominion synchronises with the swooping victory and return to power of the parly he led,” and i htims that the result of the poll is an endorsement ol the request ol the association that the proposal of corporate control should he substituted on the ballot paper in lieu of the present issue of State purchase and control." The secretary ol the association concludes his letter with an assuijtnee that ” the Dominion Executive feels confident that the long-standing promise ol the late Right lion. A\ . 1’ ■ Massey will lie fulfilled,” and a strong appeal for ” the form and substance of a Hill ” amending the licensing laws receiving the immediate attention of the Government. THE PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY. .Mr Coates's reply to the A»oci:iI lion’s i onresenlai ions was strictly nuncommital. The Minister has a w ai'\ head on his young shoulders. 1 ha\e tlie honor to acknowledge the rceeipt of your letter of the Pill instant forwarding copies ol resolutions passed by the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Licensing Reform A -social ion feinting the licensing law-.” he wrote j to tlm secretary on November LI. just i » week alter the election. "In reply 1 bale to inloriu you that I have carrtully unit'd the representations conhiiiud in the ie-olutions, and shall he glad to gin- them carotid consideration when lit ■.• using legislation is next under

review." ThU was as much as any Minister could bate said in the circiim

.stances; hut apparently the association was not satisfied. ” Your letter ol November 11.” the secretary wrote to Mr Coates yesterday, "was placed lie-

lore a meeting ol the Dununion Executive. specially called for that purpose, when it was resolved to write you

again pointing out that this association feels justified in maintaining that licensing legislation should he l rented as- being among questions ol ihe first

importance in the coming session: and that, in view ol the recent declaration o| the electors, it. should he made the subject of special consideration liv the Cabinet at the earliest possible moment. .My executive would he grateful to know when action in the above matter may he anticipated. Probably .Mr Coates will suggest to the association that it should restrain its patience for a lew months. VOTES AND REPRESENTATION. Mr Walter Nash, the secretary of the Labour Party, ha- prepared a set ol table* showing ho" the parlies, lared at the recent general election. Ihe figure', admittedly, are not complete, hut they are near enough to show that again there is a very striking disparity between the number of votes polled liv the parties and the number ot seats secured by them. Out of a total of ilAl.s.V) votes in the seventy-six European constituencies Reform b ; .lew n as receiving dOd-lid. Labour I'l.Obi. Nationalists Idd.-I d and ‘•Other-.” niv-'inisMv Independent-. dl.ti'JJ. With their respective voles Kelorui appeal's io have secured titty-one seals, Labour thirteen seats. Nationalists, ineluding Sir Joseph Ward, ten seats, and independents, comprising .Mr It. At more and Mr ('. E. Statlinm. two seats. If these figures are approximately correct they mean that with -17.1 per cent of tae votes Itetorm seems d 1i7.pl per cent of the seats : Labour with L’7.o per cent, ot the votes 17.1‘_ > per eel;i el the seats; .Nationalist w ith h‘(). I per (( in of the votes, Li. 11 per cent of the seats and indopemletis with 1.0 per cent ol the voles eg;j per cent of the seats. In other word.; dlld.lL'i votes were east lor the Government, and did. I It’ against it, sa that in the < oustitucneie.s it is in a minority of A'.o-0 while in lie House of Representatives it has a majority cl over two to one. without (minting' i:.; Maori supporters. NOT DISCOURAGED. Mr Nil'll, who himself was a candidate for the 11 lift seat, is no no way discouraged hv the result of the polling. lie sees, indeed, in the increased Labv.tr vote a good augury for the lufure. .He assumes a compact between Reformers and Nationalists to crush Labour, ami proves it to his own satisfaction. "The effect of the combination of the Reform, and Nationalist forces is shown," lie says, " hut the fact that the Labour Party obtained d-1,OH! more votes at the elections just concluded than in I9l?'_’. they have four seals less in the House of Representatives. The most remarkable fact, however. revealed by the figures is that although the total number of voles cast for till parties increased by di.-f yJt only, the Labour votes increased by do,"dll. anil Id. I!)d of those extra votes were obtained in the l(i seats contested in I9±T Ry a combined attack on Labour. i .e anti-l.ahoiii tones have sue- ■ ceded, hut the progress ol democratic movements and parties is determined h.v tlm number of adherents t,> their policy and platform, and it judged by ti.is test Labour is steadily marching forward Inwards the establishment of a more humane, more equitable, and more efficient form of Government." Mr Nash makes no allusion to electoral reform, which, though a leading plank in the party’s platform, seems to liin 1 no more favour with Labour titan it does with Reform.