The Liquor and Temperence Interests.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 August 1912, Page 3

The Liquor and Temperence Interests.

The fact that Mr Malcolm's bill for the reduction of the majority domination from three fifths to fifty five per cent was rejected by a majority •of ten per cent, is a decisive sign. Probably it may herald a change in the public mind towards Dominion prohibition. There is no doubt the law providing the same was the result of a piece of tactics and has been now realised extensively as playing with fire. It was one of the weak things done by the Ward government which was honest enough to accept a legacy and take out the sharp practice which was its main feature. Honest weakness has however thrown the world into danger of falling victim to fanatical fadderyThe House rose up and threw out the proposal for bringing this about sooner by the majority of ten per cent. This is regarded as a herald of the revolt of the majority of good sense against the tyranny of the fanatics. Of course parties got much mixed in the voting. Most strange was the vote of Mr Massey who having voted last year against the government bill for reducing three fifths to fifty five per cent now when the same issue is offerledby Mr Malcolm votes for the reduction. This will have to be i explained. In the meantime let us hope that Dominion prohibition has been swept back a bit by this vote.