The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1926. THE REFERENDUM.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1926. THE REFERENDUM.

The referendum is radically democratic, l>ut here there is already democratic government in its evident sense governed by one person one vote, why the necessity for the referendum ? A referendum is being tak--1 on in Australia this week regarding constitutional procedure, and the Commonwealth .is more radically democratic than the Dominion, because, across the Tasman Sea, they have compulsory voting on top of the individual vote. In New Zealand it is contempleted in the Licensing! Bill now before Parliament, to hold a referendum on the term of the licensing poll—three years or six years? In propounding this proposal the Government is shirking its natural prerogative to mould the policy of the country for the time being. There is a Government in power to-day sent there by the people as a whole, with a mandate which is complete as to legislative powers. The Prime Minister was credited at the time of the general elections as I>eing the man who got things done, and he was given the fullest power the electors could give him, to keep on getting things done. The licensing question has been a vexed question over many years, but when it has been relegated to the people on a referendum vote, they have consistently voted for national continuance. Mr Coates is among those who have expressed views in favour of more superior hotel accommodation as essential to New Zealand catering for a real place in the tourist traffic of the world. He has realised, too, that to ensure that condition coming to pass, there should be a better tenure to encourage capital and enterprise to build and equip hotels capable of meeting the more exacting requirements of oversea travellers in these modern times. Such being the case, it comes as a surprise to find the Prime Minister relegating the question of tenure to a referendum. There has heeu opinion enough expressed as to the need for national continuance, and. working on that it was to he expected the Government would give a lead, and in keeping with its political tenets seek to reform the Trade by giving those facilities for the betterment of the houses and the accommodation which it is impossible to expect with the present restricted tenure of license between the polls—three years. It is a simple question in itself, which should he decided, by the peoples’ Parliamentary representatives. In practically all cases, members when on the hustings gave their views in regard to licensing amendments. and are more.or less pledged one way or the other, as to reforms. The subject is not a fresh aspect of the licensing issue. There is nothing new or novel about the matter of tenure,

so that Parliamentary representatives are practically an fait with all that is involved in the question. Indeed, as men of the world, and travellers up and down the country, they are hotter qualified to decide the necessity for the matter than many thousands of electors who do little travelling and have not had the opportunity of appreciating the question at its true value--should it he put to the vole next general election. In all the circumstances a referendum on such a matter is quite out of its place and will impose needless delay and great expense on the country due to the supineness of the Government.