THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909 N.Z. ALLIANCE AND ITS ARGUMENTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 163, 10 June 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909 N.Z. ALLIANCE AND ITS ARGUMENTS.

THE granting of licenses by the Tau- | marunui Licensing Bench has again j provided the opportunity for the Prohibition Party to make reference to the agreement, between the Maoris 1 and the Government of the day, whereby restrictions with regard to liquor ' were placed on the King Country, and ' to deplore the breaking of the spirit of \ that agreement. It is unfortunate that people in advocating their opinions do [ not exercise sufficient care with their arguments to avoid making themselves ridiculous. The New Zealand Alliance is composed of men who are honestly endeavouring to promote the welfare of the people,and in working heart and soul against the liquor trade, are conscientiously acting in accordance with the dictates of their highest instincts. At the same time'tbere is also a very large proportion of the people who, from just as pure motives, hold different opinions. Again, there is a large section of the people who are not quite I sure of their ground; people who recI ognise the evils of drink, and the un- ; happiness entailed upon many inno- ! cent people in consequence of the in- ! dulgence of those connected with them, but who are not prepared to go the length extremists wish to entice them. Moreover, they also recognise that the cau »e assigned by the extremists, though an important factor, is only one of several contributing causes to the general evil, and are not convinced that the remedy for the social disease lies in prohibition. If the Alliance hopes to succeed in its mission, its members will have to exercise the utmost circumspection in its use of weapons in order to win over to its ranks the class of people who are calculated to assist it to realise its ideals. With the granting of licenses, or the circumstances that led thereto, the people ot this immediate district arc little concerned. With the old agreement between the Maoris and the Government, which led to the imposition of the present restrictions, the people of thi \ district have much concern, and any reference to that agreement is of the utmost importance to them. It may be information to the Alliance to know that the agreement comprised other clauses equally as important as that relating to liquor. Each of these other clauses was broken beyond hope of repair many years ago, and the restrictions relating to liquor, which were inflicted in the intcests of the Maoris and at their re<moef have been found to be irksome to Europeans and Maoris alike, while there is every reason to maintain that grave injustice has resulted from the operation of the law employed to enforce the restrictions. The Alliance may also be ignorant of the fact that the Maoris, at whose request the em- j bargo was placed on the district, have more than once petitioned for the removal of the restrictions. There are many other points upon which the Alliance might, with profit to itself and others, be enlightened, but it may

be doubted if a body which apparently considers that restrictions and conditions, which were considered in the dim and distant past, suitable for a semibarbarous community, are to be arbitrarily inflicted on a European population, possesses a just claim to consideration. The position of this district is not a question of license or no-license. There is a broader principle at stake, and if the Alliance earnestly desires to win the sympathy and cooperation of the people it will endeavour to intelligently master, without prejudice, the . local conditions as applied to all sections of the community, and join in the effort to secure emanicpation from harassing and iniquitous restrictions. The movement to obtain the same rights and privileges as other parts of the Dominion is not being promoted in the interests of license, and such demand, being based on the fundamental principle of justice must eventually be granted. If the Alliance is wise it will assist the movement, and contribute useful effort towards devising a broad and constitutional measure, not with the merely narrow object of preventing license,. but of placing a straight-out issue before the people, and giving them, unfettered, the opportunity of declaring their wishes. By adopting such a course the Alliance would be doing infinitely more to further its cause than by passing resolutions, bolstered up with ridiculous and obsolete arguments, such as the Maori agreement. Failing the adoption of a just and reasonable attitude befitting a Great Cause the Alliance can only hope to see its efforts opposed by people from whom in other circumstances they might look for assistance.