The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, December 9, 1909. AN ANGRY TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 607, 9 December 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, December 9,1909. AN ANGRY TRADE.

The “ trade ” representatives met in conference at Wellington on Tuesday. The representatives expressed their anger with the NoLicense Party for entering into an agreement and then repudiating it. One gentleman representing a northern bung monopoly was so incensed at the action of the coldwater brigade in repudiating the compact, that he dared not let himself go extempore, but read an address, with tears of indignation in his voice. He was completely “ broke up,” to use a colloquialism. Anyhow, after several of the “trade” magnates had let themselves go, the full strength of what was in’ their minds was reserved tor the Committee meeting. The effect of the resolutions passed by the conference is to urge the Government to. bring down legislation on the lines of the agreement that was made the other day between the representatives of the “trade” and the New Zealand Alliance. The attitude taken up by the conference is that any dissatisfaction which one side may feel does not annul the agreement, and that it is still binding upon the parties. Nor should the Government, it is claimed, abandon its expressed intention of bringing down legislation on the lines already stated. It is, however, recognised that it may not. be practicable to pass such legislation during the present session, and the “trade” does not ask that matters should be hurried to that extent. The unfortunate part of the compact, so far as the No-License party is concerned, is that one or two of the leaders did not consult the Electoral Councils throughout the Dominion before binding themselves to an agreement which the great majority of No-license voters would never sanction. They arrogated to themselves powers which, in reality, they do not possess, and which has landed them into sore trouble. In the fight against the “ trade ” there must be no compromise—it must be a fight to a finish, and on the bare majority issue at that. We regret that the “trade” has been fooled by certain members of the Executive, Who apparently lost their heads under the delusion of having solved the difficulty of mixing oil and water.